Malum Infectio
by swirlheart
Summary: Nearly two years later, Ichigo runs into a massive problem which turns the Soul Society into a battle field. What makes matters even worse is that he is forced into his Hollow state by the enemy and not even Linnette's voice can reach him. Maybe she can get Shinji and the others to help save Ichigo before he tries to kill them. Rated T for battle scenes. Please R&R
1. Chapter 1

**Malum Infectio**

summery: Nearly two years later, Ichigo runs into a massive problem which turns the Soul Society into a battle field. What makes matters even worse is that he is forced into his Hollow state by the enemy and not even Linnette's voice can reach him. Maybe she can get Shinji and the others to help save Ichigo before he tries to kill them. Please R&R

Note: This takes place after the Fullbring arc and before the Quincy attack and the war that breaks out afterwords. So this is right between there. Just so you know.

Also, I do not own Bleach or its characters. This is just a fan fiction made for fun and entertainment. I gain nothing but hopefully some positive reviews from fans and passersby.

The only thing I own are my OCs: Victor, Cedric, Linnette and Veneno. Also the Quincy that appear in this are also OCs of mine made up for this fan fiction. These characters are mine and my own creation. The other characters belong to Tite Kubo, the creator of Bleach.

Now onto the story ^-^

 **Chapter 1:**

Lately, things have been quiet around Karakura Town. It had been two days since the last Hollow appearance and no souls had been wandering around in need of help. Since Ichigo had regained his Soul Reaper powers, he had to go back to work, which was always a huge pain. As aggravating it was, he had to admit that he did miss it. Just not out loud. He never thought he would ever have this power again and found it depressing to admit to himself that he actually did care when he lost it. It was a defense maconesium. It was just easier to say that he didn't care and could finally live a normal life when he actually cared very much deep down. True, he never did think he was any better than other people because of his powers, but he did take pride in them. He didn't use his Soul Reaper powers to gloat, but to protect. Especially those who could not protect themselves.

After class, it was his turn to help clean up the classroom along with Keigo and Mizuiro. Chad and Orihime said they were going to wait for him outside, but he told them to go ahead. Knowing them, they were going to wait anyway.

"Have you rented yourself out to anymore sports teams, Ichigo?" asked Mizuiro as he pushed the broom across the floor with both hands. It was a rare time when he didn't have his phone in either of his hands.

"Nah. I kind of got busy again." Ichigo pushed the broom into a corner and out again, trying to get a dust clump from the edge of the wall.

"Ah. Your business, I guess. Am I right?" That was his subtle way of referring to Ichigo's Soul Reaper duties.

It was kind of nice for his friends to know what he was doing. They rarely talked about it, though. Ichigo often wondered how they really felt about what he was and what he did whenever it was brought up. Most of the time, he didn't even think about it.

CLANG! Keigo had hooked his broom between two desk legs and was trying to pull it free.

"You have to turn it to the side, Mr. Asano."

"I know what I'm doing."

Ichigo pushed the broom across the floor, getting every bit of dirt he could find. He glanced out the window at the sky. It was getting even grayer and darker. "It looks like rain."

The others turned and looked out the window as well. "Yeah, it does. We should hurry and get this done."

They finished cleaning in a hurry and put everything back the way it was and gathered their things. They ran down the hall together and down the stairs. All three of them tried to get out the door at once resulting in their shoulders getting squished together rather painfully. They forced themselves out at once, stumbling and rubbing their arms. Sure enough, Orihime and Chad were waiting for them in the yard. The group walked together, talking about class and any plans they had for the rest of the day or for the upcoming weekend.

Ichigo's cheek felt wet. Something touched his forehead and neck. He looked at the sky, more raindrops falling onto his face. It was drizzling. Not even a full minute later, the sky opened up and unleashed a massive downpour. Orihime yelped and hid under her schoolbag. The others did the same, using their bags as umbrellas. They sprinted home getting soaked every step of the way. Soon, everyone had gone their own separate ways, sloshing through puddles and up slippery sidewalks.

Ichigo's whole body was soaked. There was little need for the bag. It was only keeping his head dry. If only he had brought an umbrella with him, but that morning it had been sunny with only a small cloud in the distance. He never expected it to rain so suddenly like this. He stepped into a huge puddle, getting his socks wet. No longer seeing a point, he lowered his schoolbag and welcomed the rain onto his orange head.

When he finally arrived home, every inch of him was soaking wet and cold. He stood on the front step of his home and fumbled for his keys. His sisters should have been home, but he wasn't sure. He stepped inside, leaving his wet shoes by the door and set his bag down beside them. Standing perfectly still, he formed a puddle in front of the door which continued to spread the longer he remained.

"Hello?" he called into the house. "Yuzu? Karin?" No one answered him. No one was home except for him. "Great. I need a towel." With nothing else to do, he stepped inside and went upstairs to dry off.

He liked it when the house was quiet. He could be alone with his thoughts and have peace. He could also watch whatever he wanted on TV. He stripped off his wet clothes and put on dry sweatpants and a T-shirt. He used a towel to dry his hair, then draped it over his shoulders and went into the living room to watch some TV.

"Finally, some peace and quiet." He made himself comfortable on the couch and grabbed the remote. The towel around his neck helped support his head as he relaxed and started flipping through channels.

Off in the distance, he heard the rumbling of thunder. He chose to ignore it, figuring it was too far away to be any real problem. He settled on a channel with a tall thin woman demonstrating how to make a delicious dish packed with flavor and in half the time. Ichigo watched the screen for a while, thinking about dinner. If Yuzu didn't have any ideas, maybe she should try making this tonight. It looked good.

Thunder rumbled again, getting closer. The lights dimmed for a moment. Ichigo waited but nothing happened. He continued to watch TV. Then suddenly, in the middle of the program, the lights went out and the screen turned black. Ichigo was in total darkness.

"Damn it." He felt around in the dark, trying to get to the kitchen. He knew they kept a flashlight in there. CLUNK! His shin hit the coffee table. "Damn it!" He moved slowly and carefully.

His hands touched the counter and he slowly felt his way over to the flashlight plugged into the wall. He turned on the fully charged flashlight and pointed it around the room.

"Why is it so dark in here?"

"You think it's a blackout?"

"Or Ichigo was too lazy to turn on the lights."

"Shh! What if he's taking a nap and needs it dark?"

"Then he'll be in his room, Yuzu."

Ichigo pointed the flashlight toward the front door. His sisters had come home. They were just as drenched as he had been, standing by the door, trying not to drip on the floor. "Hey, guys. It's a blackout. Stay put. Let me get you towels."

Ichigo bought them some towels and a pair of flashlights from upstairs. Yuzu dried herself off and looked into the kitchen. "I hope the lights come on soon. How will we make dinner?"

"Taken care of." Karin held up a bag of chips.

"That's not dinner!"

"Works for me." Ichigo took the bag and started eating. "Want some?"

"I want a real dinner, Ichigo. And don't you like the food I make?"

"Yeah, I like it. But you can't cook with no power."

The lights didn't come on for the next several hours. They were stuck in the dark with nothing to do and nothing hot to eat. His sisters changed into their pajamas and all three of them sat in the living room together, waiting for the power to come back. Karin tried to read by flashlight while her twin stared at the sky outside. The thunder had grown louder, rattling the windows and cupboards.

"Remember when we were little and we used to build a fort here in the living room during a thunderstorm?" Yuzu asked.

"Yeah, I remember. We were little back then. It'd be stupid to do it now," said her sister.

"I'm not saying we should. I was asking if you remembered."

"Well, I do and we're not."

Ichigo remembered that well. He helped them build it. Sometimes, for added fun, he pretended to be a monster and attack the pillow fort with growls and mittens on his hands. Sometimes, they would switch and Karin would be the monster and Ichigo and Yuzu would cower in the fort. Sometimes, he would come out swinging a pillow, battling the monster Karin. Remembering such silly things brought a smile to his face. They did have some good times as children. It had been years since they last played those games. Nowadays, the only games that interested Karin involved soccer. Part of him wanted to start playfully attacking them like in the good old days but he knew he would look foolish and didn't want to. Besides, they would probably look at him strange if he did.

"I hope dad comes back soon. He keeps going out a lot lately."

"He's fine. He's like Ichigo and runs off places. It happens with the men in this family."

"I resent that," Ichigo frowned. He changed the subject. "So what did you guys do in school today?"

"You care?"

"I want the time to pass."

Karin might not have cared but Yuzu did and told Ichigo all about her day. She was doing very well in school. So far she had passed every test she took. She told them about one of her classmates teaching them a song during free time. She repeated it back to them. Ichigo listened and nodded his head, acknowledging her while Karin kept her eyes on the book she was no longer reading. Ichigo in turn told her about some of the things she had to watch out for in high school and the strange people he had to go to class with on a regular basis. A boy in her class leading everyone in song suddenly didn't seem that strange anymore.

"When are the lights coming back?" Karin asked the ceiling.

"What's wrong with having a little fun and spending some time together, huh?" Yuzu pouted.

"Nothing. It's just we're older now and shouldn't play kid games and stuff."

"We're just reminiscing," said Ichigo. "Besides, Yuzu started it."

"Hey!"

Karin rolled her eyes. "See what happens with boredom? It makes everyone crazy and weird."

"How am I weird?" Ichigo tilted his head.

"Gee, I wonder."

Ichigo pointed the flashlight under his face, trying to get her to smile. She looked his way and pressed her lips together, trying not to. "I'm not as bad as dad. He's the weird one in this family."

"The apple doesn't drop too far from the tree, Ichigo."

"What about you two?"

"We're fine! At least I am."

Ichigo pointed the flashlight over her shoulder. "Holy crap, what's that?"

She turned. "What?"

He threw a pillow at the back of her head.

"Hey!" She picked it up and threw it back. He caught it and threw it right back. "Stop that! You're so immature!"

"Stop that, you're so immature!" he mocked.

Karin jumped out of her seat and landed on his lap and started beating him with the pillow.

Yuzu was on her feet, calling for peace. They rounded on her and pelted her with pillows. She quickly returned fire. Soon, it was a three-way pillow war. They stocked each other in the dark, attacking with pillows, running, hiding.

No pillow forts were made, but they were put to good use. The lights didn't come on, but they didn't care. By the time they did finally come on, everyone was already in bed and too tired to care.

* * *

We're off to a decent start, I think.

Beginnings are often slower, but given what's going to happen in this fiction, I think you'll enjoy the simple and easy going beginning. Action will take place fairly soon so don't worry.

Please review! ^-^ Thank you.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2:**

Nothing came to rest here for long in this city. People were constantly coming and going, cars would start and stop as lights changed or as people hurried across the street at the last second. Horns honked, people shouted advertizements or arguments. Nothing stayed still for long. Even at night, lights were always on. It wasn't called the city that never sleeps for nothing.

Which is why it was a perfect home for someone who never slept himself. Victor could tolerate the noise coming from outside, but it was always a relief when he made it indoors. Inside, the noise was muffled and he could escape from the city. Even a barbershop provided him with much needed sanctuary. It was a place he could relax and enjoy some quiet time. Plus, it served a purpose.

Victor's hair had grown longer since his last visit. Nothing changed about his appearance. He was always the same height, the same build and he never aged. The only thing that seemed to change was his hair. Like normal human beings, it grew over time. However, Victor was far from a normal human. Still, making frequent tips to the barbershop did help keep up appearances. It was one of the few things he could share with normal people.

The barbershop was very narrow, squeezed between two other shops, sharing a skyscraper. There was a beauty salon across the street and another haircut place on the same block, so most of the time this shop had plenty of space and empty chairs. Whenever Victor stopped by, there was only one person on staff so it was possible that there was only one barber in this shop. He was getting on in years but still knew his stuff. He was also particular about which customers he spoke to. He seemed to be more friendly when Victor was in his shop for a trim. He was very good for business, after all.

It was no secret that Victor was a very charming man with soul-snatching good looks. Which may have been why the barber had as many customers as he did. Women would turn away from the salon to enter this barbershop when Victor was waiting his turn. Once they found out that Victor made this is regular shop, women flocked to it, hoping to catch a glimpse of him. Victor knew he was handsome. Whenever he entered the shop, he took notice of how many women would look up and start blushing. They would stare at him over the tops of their magazines, admiring him. Women passing on the street would suddenly duck inside just to see him. The longer they stayed, the longer they got to watch him, so many of them would stay for a haircut themselves.

Thanks to all the business Victor brought him, the barber treated him very well. He had to make sure he kept coming by otherwise no one would show up.

Today, Victor was the only customer. No one else had stopped in, which suited him just fine. He was indifferent about the stares he received, but sometimes it was nice to be without them. He sat in the cushioned chair with a newspaper on his lap, reading. Putting his trust in the barber's abilities, Victor remained still while the scissors snipped away his locks. The old barber's hands were wrinkled but never shook once as he worked. He was very skilled and always did Victor's hair just right.

"It's been so quiet today," said the barber. "So far, you are the only one who has come in this afternoon."

"Perhaps no one is in need of a trim today. Hair only grows so quickly."

"Yes, yes. I'm sure I'll see some faces in the next few days. Thank God hair grows or I'd be out of a job. I can't do anything else at my age."

Victor shook the paper in his hands, getting rid of some hair trimmings. This paper was from two days ago.

"I'll need to do your bangs next."

Victor folded the paper in half and closed his eyes. He had done this so often, he knew the routine. He found it relaxing. The sweeps of the comb through his blond hair and the rhythmic snips of the scissors. They never missed a beat and his head grew lighter but only slight.

"Seeing anyone?"

"Pardon?"

The barber laughed. "Come on. A handsome man like you. Are you seeing anyone?"

Victor returned the laugh. "If I was, what would that do for your business?"

"Oh, you know women. Even if you're married, it doesn't matter to them. Not as long as you're good-looking. They just want someone to stare at."

Victor grinned. "There is only one woman in my life. She is the one I live for."

"What a romantic!" the barber laughed. He ruffled Victor's hair with is fingers. Short hair clippings floated down, tickling his cheeks and neck like the strokes of a paintbrush. "All done."

Victor opened his eyes and looked into the mirror the barber placed in front of him. There was a large mirror mounted on the wall, but the small one was for looking up close. He moved the mirror behind Victor's head. Using the large mirror, he could see the neckline in the mirror behind him. "Nice job. Thank you."

The barber removed the black bib from around Victor's neck and shook it out over the floor. He quickly dusted off Victor's white suit with a small brush and stepped away from the chair. Victor reached into his pocket and took out his wallet. "Sixteen bucks, same as always." Victor handed him the money. "Thanks. Pleasure doing business with you."

"See you again."

The barber grabbed a broom and started to sweep up the hair on the eggshell colored floor tiles. "Come again soon. Bring customers."

Victor nodded at the joke and opened the door. The bell rang overhead but was quickly drowned out by the noise from outside. Loud chatter, honking, truck engines... This was the city, alright. Victor missed the quiet of the tiny barbershop already. He entered the flow of the pedestrian traffic and became a part of their current. He was meshed between people on cellphones, beeping pagers, a couple walking hand-in-hand and a woman walking her dog. Honestly, a handsome man in a perfect white suit did not blend in very well with this crowd at all.

At the next traffic light, Victor slipped away from the crowd and down another street. There were no venders here and any shops down this way had no windows. Making sure he wasn't followed, Victor moved down this path and as soon as he was away from any doors, he jumped.

His jump took him to the top of the building thirty-stories up. As soon as he landed, he jumped again. From roof to roof he jumped. Keeping track of his progress, he started to take larger strides. The buildings would start to gain some distance now. There would be bigger gaps and less skyscrapers. He moved faster and faster, leaping so far, it almost looked like he was flying.

On his last jump, he cleared several buildings and landed in a driveway. He brushed himself off and straightened his tie. He walked up the stone path to the front door of a large house and let himself in. "I'm back."

The large man in the kitchen turned around with a bowl in his hands. "You left this in the oven, Victor."

"I know, Cedric. I knew I would be back with plenty of time. I was just about to take that out."

"What if it ran long? What if there was a line at the barbershop?"

"Then you would have taken it out like you just did. That's why you're home."

Cedric set the dish down on the counter, frowning. "A little warning would be nice. You didn't tell me you left it in the oven. What if I found it and it was too late and got burned?"

"Don't worry. I also have risotto leftover from last night. She won't starve. She is the only one who eats, after all."

Cedric had nothing more to say to his brother. Victor always had an answer for everything which sometimes got annoying in Cedric's opinion. Cedric only spoke when he felt he had to. He was the more quiet of the two. The quiet observer.

"Did Linnette move from that spot since I left?" Victor asked. When last he left her, Linnette was parked in front of the TV watching her program.

"She did. She attempted to make lemonade." Cedric pulled it out of the refrigerator and poured Victor a glass. "Here's what she came up with."

Even though neither Victor nor Cedric needed to eat, both did possess a sense of taste. Victor enjoyed wine while Cedric drank nothing and enjoyed that. Having a sense of taste allowed them to judge Linnette's cooking whenever she had a desire to attempt it. They were then able to give her pointers and help her improve.

Victor took the glass and drank Linnette's results. Victor frowned and lowered the glass. He forced himself to swallow but it looked painful.

"It's horrible, isn't it?" Cedric asked.

Victor shut his eyes tightly, licking his lips. "No, no. It's... It's um..."

"Bitter?"

"Yes, that's it. And it's... It's salty. Did she mistake the salt for the sugar?"

"I'm not sure what she did."

"Weren't you watching her, Cedric?"

"I did. She also said I was making her nervous so I stepped aside. She wanted to do it on her own."

Victor set the glass on the counter and chuckled. Linnette relied on them for many things, but Linnette also wished to be independent and do things on her own. He knew it was good for her, but it also made him feel a little sad. It made him feel proud when she succeeded and showed growth. However, it also showed that she didn't need them as much as she had in the past. It was as if every step she took was another step away from them. It was such a strange mixture of emotions.

Still, this little concoction proved that she still needed them for a little while longer.

"She will always need us in some way," Cedric said softly. He could read his brother very well. Cedric was very good at that.

They had the same powers and abilities, but they were two different people. They had different personalities and roles and reasons for their creation. A full explanation would take ages to cover everything they were. They tried to simplify things as best they could. Put simply, Victor gave Linnette what she wanted and Cedric gave her what she needed. Even so, that still didn't completely explain their roles and duties. Sometimes they crossed into the other's territory which proved that they were more complex than they thought. The one thing they knew for sure was how Linnette modeled them. Victor was modeled after a prince due to fairytale stories she grew up on about the handsome prince coming to save the young girl and take her away to happiness. She wanted to be rescued so she imagined a prince. She also wanted a family and that was where Cedric came in. He was created second to be a more father figure to her. He was decent looking but not nearly as handsome as Victor. He had a more muscular build and could blend into a crowd more easily.

Two men, alike and different at the same time. Both created to serve one girl forever. Two men created to save her from her loneliness. To be her family and to make her happy. Her happiness was theirs as well. They loved her with all their hearts and would gladly serve her forever if that was what she wanted of them. To be with the girl who gave them life and raise her.

Hardly a model family and far from perfect. Then again, what family was? As complicated as things were, the one thing they knew for certain was that they were a family.

"Victor, you home?"

"I am, sweetie."

Linnette turned off the TV and came into the kitchen. Unlike her guardians, Linnette was human and her appearance changed with time. She could age. She was a thin fifteen year old girl with dark hair and big blue eyes and pale skin. She had grown a couple of inches in the past year and a half. Her taste in clothes hadn't changed very much at all. She still had a love for wearing heels if she had to wear something on her feet. Otherwise, she was barefoot, which Cedric didn't like very much, constantly worrying that she was going to step on something sharp and hurt herself. She still loved wearing dresses and skirts as well. She was wearing a blue one with flowers over a lavender T-shirt that very moment and a bracelet on her left wrist.

"So..." she said, rocking on the balls of her feet. "What did you bring me?"

"Kisses." Victor bent down and kissed her forehead.

"I thought you would bring me something from the bakery like the last time you got a haircut. I was looking forward to it."

"I wasn't out that way. Besides, you have sweets here to eat." Victor looked at the jug on the counter. "Speaking of which, what is this? What did you make this time?"

Linnette looked at the jug and pouted. "Oh, that. I was trying to make lemonade but it didn't work out right."

"It's not very sweet, sweetie."

"I didn't add any sugar. I thought it would make it too sweet. The powder had sugar in it."

"You used the mix?" Victor was puzzled. "That's very simple to do. Just add the mix to water and stir. Why would it turn out this way?"

Linnette looked at the jug with disappointment. "I was trying to make pink lemonade."

"Pink lemonade?" Victor looked at the jug. "Was that what it said on the bag?"

"No. It was normal lemonade. I tried to make it pink."

Victor's eyes rolled down to his little girl. "How?" he asked slowly.

"By pouring things that are pink into the water along with the mix. Like the spices we have in the cupboard. And I crushed some raspberries and threw them in, too. But it didn't work."

Victor and Cedric exchanged amused smiles and Victor started laughing. "Did you, now?"

Linnette whined, feeling like they were making fun of her. "Well, I don't know what makes pink lemonade pink!"

Victor hugged her. "It's fine, Linnette. I think you made a discovery. Just because this didn't work out the way you wanted it, doesn't mean it's a failure."

"Can we fix it?" she asked.

Cedric held up the jug with his right hand. "This is beyond fixing."

Even Linnette was laughing now. "It's horrible, isn't it?"

"No. Just... different. And what's wrong with that?"

Cedric smiled. "It's a reminder of the pie you tried making last month. It was burned on the outside and frozen in the middle."

"It balanced out!"

Victor kissed her again and gave her another hug. "What should we do with that... Linne-nade?"

"You named it after me? Why?"

"You invented it so it's only fitting we name it after you. So what should we do with it?"

Linnette stuck her tongue out. "Pour it down the sink!"

"Are you sure?"

"I can try again later. This one's no good. Dump it!"

"Consider it done." Cedric poured the failed lemonade down the sink.

Linnette turned to Victor. "I hope you made dinner tonight. If I have to make it, we'll starve. If it turns out anything like that."

"Everything's taken care of. Don't worry. Would you like to eat now?"

"Yes, please."

"Alright. Let me get it. Go sit down. I'll meet you at the table."

* * *

Yay! Them again!

Please review! ^-^ Thank you.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3:**

The following day, Linnette was watching TV and found herself inspired. She knew today was chore day which meant that Victor and Cedric would be running errands. This was the prefect opportunity. She jumped off the couch and ran into the kitchen where Cedric was making a list of things to do in the city.

"Cedric! I want to go shopping with you!"

"Why?" he asked. "What for?"

She pointed into the TV room with the remote still clutched in her hand. "I want to make that!" The screen showed a cooking show featuring a succulent looking dish with chopped carrots, potatoes and rice. In the center of the plate was something that looked like tiny sleeping bags stuffed with vegetables.

"That?"

Victor stepped beside his brother and looked at the TV screen. "I know that dish. It's a roulade."

"I want to make it!" Linnette said loudly, trying to convince them. "Please? It looks good!"

Victor grinned, though looking a bit on the nervous side. "Sweetie, don't you think you should start out with a simpler dish? It's involved and I think-"

"Please? Let me try it! I want to try it! Please?"

How could he turn her down? "Well... I suppose I could..."

"I want to go shopping for the stuff and cook it today." Linnette turned off the television and set the remote aside. "Can I come with you to go shopping?"

"I suppose we could do that." Victor looked at his watch. "I say we split up. I have some things to do as well. How about I leave Linnette and the food shopping to you and I'll bring the car around later? It'll make carrying the food home a lot easier."

"Ok!" Linnette answered for Cedric.

Cedric nodded. "Sounds like a plan. Are you sure?"

"I can handle those chores just fine. You'd better get going."

Getting into the city with them was the fun part. Linnette loved being carried through the air by her loving guardians, beating all the traffic and looking down on the city below. It was a thrilling and exhilarating ride which only took a few minutes. Cedric sometimes carried Linnette on his back and other times in his arms. Today, he carried her in his arms and Linnette was pressed into his strong muscular chest as he took off into the air. Leaping from building to building, rising and falling, made her feel like she was on a carnival ride. The wind in her face and the leaps Cedric took made her stomach and chest rise and drop as if she were on a carousel moving much too fast. She loved it.

Cedric found a safe place to land unnoticed and set her down. This ability her two guardians possessed was a secret. Not even her closest friends in the city knew about it. The only people who knew were the people in the Soul Society and Ichigo Kurosaki. They knew about Victor and Cedric's powers all too well. To them, she could speak freely, but to all others, they had to remain hidden. Who knew what would happen if they were discovered? Linnette was human, but her ageless, powerful, non-bleeding protectors; that was another story.

Cedric walked Linnette into the closest grocery store and pushed a cart behind her, allowing her to take the lead. Most grocery stores along this strip were small little delis or corner markets. This one was much bigger and carried a lot more goods.

Linnette didn't know the recipe so she did everything from memory. She watched the cooking show just a few minutes ago and remembered the ingredients fairly well. She went to the produce section and and picked out the vegetables she had seen the chef use. At least the ones she remembered or liked. She grabbed some tomatoes. These ones were big and red. There were many other kinds nearby like cherry tomatoes, but these were the ones she saw on the program.

"Linnette."

She was just about to put them into the cart went Cedric spoke to her.

"Do you remember how to check them for ripeness?"

"Oh, yeah." Ever since she first expressed a desire to cook on her own, Victor and Cedric had both been giving her tips for preparing food and making sure what she picked out at the store was good. Since Victor did most of the cooking, most of the advice came from him. However, Cedric knew a thing or two about cooking as well.

Linnette held the tomatoes in her hand and gave each of them a small gentle squeeze. This one was hard like a baseball. She put it back. This one was really mushy. It was too ripe. The remaining ones she held yielded to her gentle pressure. These were good. She put two in the plastic bag nearby and put them into the cart.

They moved on to other foods as well. Linnette picked out some onions and carrots and some corn cobs and strawberries. Then she grabbed an avocado and Cedric spoke up again. "Um, does the recipe call for avocado?"

"I don't think so. But I like avocado."

Cedric gave her a small smile. He wasn't going to argue. If that's what she wanted, then that's what it is. She was going to be the one eating it, anyway.

They moved on and bought several other items. The chicken for the roulade she wanted to make, and some snacks for whenever she pleased. She put cookies and chips into the cart and tried to grab a pack of cupcakes, which made Cedric cough with disapproval. "What? I'm not eating it all at once."

"If you get those things, you can't get any other snack foods or sweets, got it?"

She agreed.

When they got to the register, Cedric unloaded the cart and reached for his wallet. Linnette tried to sneak in a few candy bars from the display rack but Cedric caught her and returned them to the shelves, reminding her of what they had just talked about. Once everything was paid for, Cedric and Linnette carried the bags outside where Victor was already waiting for them with the car.

"Did you get everything you needed?" he asked them.

"Yup!" Linnette started to put the bags in the back seat. "I got cupcakes, too!"

"Did you, now?"

Linnette looked at Cedric. "Are you doing more chores now?"

"It shouldn't take long. A few things I need to do are on this block and the next."

"Will you try my food when I finish cooking it?"

"Of course I will."

"See you at home, Cedric," said Victor. "I can take Linnette from here."

Cedric nodded and joined the crowd of people walking by, hoping to disappear so no one would see just how fast he could move. Victor returned to the car and buckled up. Linnette sat in the back seat so she could keep an eye on her cupcakes, and maybe steal a bite or two without Victor noticing.

"Let's go home, Linnette."

"Ok."

"And no cupcakes until we get home."

"Aw..! How'd you know?"

The car pulled away from the curb and joined the rest of the city traffic. It was slow going this time of day. Sometimes they moved quickly through the streets and other times it was a constant stop and start with cars pulling in and out of lanes and people walking out in front of the cars trying to get to the other side.

Personally, Linnette was in no hurry to drive; this being one of the reasons. Most teenagers couldn't wait. Then again, Linnette wasn't like most teenage girls. The way she lived her life, the people she knew and her abilities weren't the only things different about her. Her personality was another. Most teenage girls she saw seemed so catty to her and were constantly on their phones. That wasn't how she wanted to be. Those girls reminded her so much of the mean girls who picked on her back at the orphanage. She never wanted to be like them. Another reason was because Victor and Cedric didn't raise her to be that way. Linnette was a bit on the childish side and that was just fine with them. Honestly, they wanted to keep her as innocent as possible. Maybe she was also the way she was because she was home-schooled and wasn't exposed to a lot of what other children had to face.

Linnette was just fine being seen as childish. She didn't have a very pleasant childhood so in a way she was trying to make up for lost time. Mostly, she just wanted to enjoy herself and not grow up too fast. Sure, she had shown some maturity in recent months and was becoming more independent, but that didn't stop her from using the luggage racks on the trains and buses as monkey-bars. There was a time and place for everything.

The car came to a sudden stop. Traffic was at a standstill up ahead. The traffic-light suspended over the street had been knocked down and the thick black wires were in the middle of the road. Several police officers were there to direct traffic and help resolve the problem. Cars were slowly moving around the damage but one at a time and very slowly.

When Linnette looked forward, she noticed that there was a gap between Victor and the next row of cars. Why wasn't he moving up? Victor wasn't looking at the road. His eyes were looking at something higher up. His body leaned forward over the steering wheel, peering at something large through the windshield.

"Uh-oh."

Linnette unbuckled her seat-belt and moved closer to the front to see what he was seeing.

"Put your seat-belt back on," he warned. "Hold on." Victor threw the car into reverse and backed up, people honking their horns at him as he did.

Clinging to the headrest of the passenger seat, Linnette was finally able to see what Victor had been looking at. A large mole-like Hollow was standing in the middle of the street, looking at all the people passing by on the sidewalk. "A Hollow? Here?" Hollows rarely appeared in New York.

The car stopped suddenly again and Linnette was thrown into the headrest. She wasn't hurt. Since she was already clinging to it, she hadn't been thrown that far. She sat back in her seat and looked out the windows on all sides. Victor couldn't back up any further. Traffic was blocked on the left side of the car, there were parked cars on the right and honking cars backed up for the next two block right behind him. He would have plowed into the yellow one right behind him if he hadn't stopped when he did.

Horns were blaring so loudly, Linnette's ears were starting to ache. An officer waved Victor forward but he wouldn't obey. He was trying to get away from the Hollow, not over to it, which was exactly what would happen if he did as the officer told him to do. The officer came over and that sparked more people to leave their cars to yell at the man in the suit.

Victor stepped out of the car and tried to come up with a reason for going against several traffic laws.

"Is there a problem?" the officer asked in an impatient tone.

Victor's voice was barely audible over the honks from the line of cars stuck behind him. Some were cursing at him and demanded he move his car at once. Others called him an idiot and asked if he was too stupid to know the difference between forward and backward.

"Well?" the officer pressed.

"Very sorry," Victor tried to be polite so he wouldn't escalate the problem.

"I was waving you forward. Why didn't you do it?"

"There was something in the road."

"There's nothing there. You need to get your eyes checked." The officer called to the men working further ahead. They yelled something back and the officer turned back to speak with Victor. "Don't hold up any more traffic. Get back in your car and pull forward."

Victor wasn't quick to respond. He still had his eye on the Hollow lumbering around the street. No one else could see it. If Victor spoke the truth, no one would believe him. Even if they could see it, he couldn't just attack it without revealing what he was. He had to pretend to be a normal human and normal humans couldn't do what he was thinking of doing.

A man got out of his car and started cursing at Victor. "Move your damn car, you moron! You're blocking everyone!"

"I'll handle it," the officer told him. "You get back in your car."

"Just arrest this pretty-boy and get him off the road!"

"Don't tell me how to do my job!"

"Please," Victor tried to keep the peace. "Let's not fight in front of my little girl."

The man looked in the back seat of Victor's car. "What girl?"

Victor bent down and peered inside the car. The bags of groceries were there, but not Linnette. Just an empty seat. Victor back out of the car, put his hand on the roof and scanned the sidewalk for Linnette. In the crowds of onlookers, she was nowhere to be found. "Linnette?!" She was gone.

Weaving through the crowd of people, Linnette ran between the large buildings and around the corner.

She saw it with her own eyes. A Hollow. Here in New York. It was so rare to find one all the way out here. She couldn't let it run loose like that. She had to do something. Victor couldn't attack it without people noticing his power. Linnette had to find another way to handle the situation.

Scraping the rubber soles of her shoes, Linnette ran to the next of the block and around the corner of a building. She saw the same crowd of people as before. At the corner, she made a right and crossed the street to the next block. Then she made a left to the next one. This was where the men were working. She could see the traffic light and everything. Including the Hollow. She had just went in a circle and crossed the street to the block behind the Hollow. This was what she wanted. She knew Victor would never let her out of the car and if she darted across the street, the officers who were there would have stopped her. She had to take the back way in order to get behind the Hollow.

Now she could carry out here plan. If Victor couldn't attack the Hollow with all these people watching, then she would lure the Hollow away and have Victor kill it then. All she had to do was get it away from the street.

She started to vocalize. The Hollow's head started to turn in her direction. Then its whole body turned to face her. She stopped singing and started to coax the Hollow away from the street with her hand. "That's it. Come on. A little closer."

The Hollow moved away from the street, keeping its body low to fit under the cable wires and street lights.

"Come on. Come on."

Victor noticed the Hollow was walking away. That's when he spotted Linnette. While he knew the Hollow wouldn't hurt her while it was under her influence, he was still concerned about her safety. He had to get over there and help her.

She was leading the Hollow away.

"Clever girl..." Victor praised her quietly. He had to get over there to help get rid of it once and for all.

Linnette walked backwards, calling the Hollow to her. "Come on. That's it. Come here. Good. Good. Come on. A little further." She kept backing away slowly, having the Hollow follow her one step at a time. It was working. The Hollow was listening to her. Just a little further and they would be across the street and onto the next block where there were fewer people.

HONK! HONK!

Without realizing it, Linnette had walked backwards into the middle of the street, right when the light had changed. Linnette turned to her left and saw a semi truck heading right for her. She had just stepped out from behind a taco food truck so this semi couldn't see her until it was too late. Linnette stopped walking and froze where she was. She couldn't even scream, only gasp. The front bumper was so close, she could reached out and touch it with her fingers.

The next thing she heard was the sound of scraping metal and shattering glass. There was a loud crash and steam started to hiss, making her face feel hot. Linnette felt something tight across her waist, but she wasn't in any pain.

She saw Cedric. He was holding her off the ground in one arm. The other arm had a hold of the front bumper of the truck which had been caved in along with the rest of the engine. Cedric had stopped the truck with his bare hand, nearly putting a hole through it. To make sure it wasn't getting any closer to her, he was holding it up so the front wheels were no longer touching the asphalt. The truck was wrecked.

"Are you hurt?" he asked her.

"No, I'm fine." Linnette was staring at the truck. It looked like it had just hit a pole dead center. Linnette turned away to see what had become of the Hollow. To save Linnette and stop the Hollow, Cedric and punched a hole right through the Hollow's head, jumped out the exit wound and to Linnette's rescue before she could get hit by the truck.

The man started to open his truck door to get out and see what had happened.

"We have to go," Linnette warned.

Cedric wasn't going to argue. In order to save her life, Cedric had just exposed his power for all to see. Taking his hand off the truck, Cedric wrapped his other arm around Linnette and flashed away.

A crowd started to from from the other side of the road now. People were taking pictures with their phones and the officers converged on the scene. The truck driver was in shock, seeing the front of his truck destroyed.

Victor watched from outside his car with wide eyes. He had just witnessed his brother stop a truck with his bare hand in broad daylight in the middle of a New York city street where there was already a crowd of people gathered in the area. "We may have to move."

* * *

Linnette no longer had a desire to try cooking the dish she was so interested in earlier that day. The food they bought at the store were put away for next time. As far as dinner was concerned for that evening, she was fine with going to bed hungry. After what had happened in the city, Linnette was very worried that they would have to move away in order to remain hidden. She made some local friends here. She didn't want to move away. She liked the house they were in. She liked the location. She didn't want to leave. Cedric apologized to her over and over, saying that he only did that because her life was in danger. Linnette said that she understood and that there was nothing to forgive. Even though she meant it, it did nothing to quell her worry.

She sat on the couch in the TV room, hugging a stuffed animal to her chest, waiting for someone to come knocking on their door. She had visions of someone breaking down the door and asking them to come to a secret location. She was frightened.

In an attempt to ease her worry, Victor turned on the news. They found a news channel with a report of the incident from that day. Linnette saw video images of the traffic scene and held Victor's hand. Cedric sat beside her on the couch, gripping her other hand. They watched and listened, barely breathing.

The news covered the fallen traffic light and the traffic jam, saying how it took hours for everything to get cleaned up and traffic to flow normally again. Then they showed a picture of the man's dented truck.

There were no pictures of Linnette walking into the street, no images of Cedric smashing the front of the truck to stop it. Just the end result.

According to the news woman, the cause of the accident was unknown but was suspected to be from a falling streetlight or someone losing control of the construction equipment. No one had seen what caused the accident because everyone was focused on the traffic jam and only turned around when they heard a crash, but it took them a while to find the source. Even the truck driver didn't know what caused it. All he knew was that there was a child that was crossing the street just before the crash but assumed they ran off. Since there was no blood found at the scene and no one was reported injured and there being no child there after the crash, it was assumed by all that whoever it was managed to get out of the street in time.

"I could have sworn the wheels were off the ground of a second but when I got out of my truck, they were on the ground."

"So it is possible that you did hit the light pole and your truck simply rolled backwards to the point at which it was found?"

"I guess so. I must have swerved to miss the kid. I was on my phone at the time so... Damn, don't tell the cops I said that."

"There you have it, folks. The cause of the accident was an over-correction of the vehicle which then swerved into a pole which caused the damage. Thank God no one was hurt during this incident."

"No one got hurt? Did you see the front of my truck? Do you know what it's going to cost me?"

This was the only news channel that covered the truck. Every other piece of news was either about the fallen traffic light or the increase in gas prices around the corner.

Linnette was so relieved. No one saw them after all.

"There. You see, sweetie? They ruled it a normal traffic accident." Victor was relieved as well. "I suppose it was a good thing I got out of my car when I did. All attention was on my location so no one bothered to look in your direction. We're safe."

Linnette rested her head on Victor's shoulder. "Yeah." She squeezed Cedric's hand.

"I was only worried about your safety," Cedric assured her for the tenth time that evening.

"I know. Thanks."

Victor looked over Linnette's head at his brother. "Cedric, may I see you in the kitchen a moment?"

Linnette watched the two men leave the TV room. She pretended to watch the rest of the news but she was actually listening to their conversation.

"You know we have to be careful about using our abilities, Cedric. What were you thinking?"

"I was thinking about protecting Linnette. While you were watching from the other side of the street."

"I'm grateful for that. She's important to me, too, you know."

"I'm aware."

"But we still have to be careful, Cedric. You want to expose us?"

"I wasn't caught on camera, no one saw us. I was under the truck so the diver didn't see me."

"So that makes it right?"

"Don't lecture me, Victor. You've done irrational things as well. What would you have done if I wasn't there to save her?"

"I would have jumped to her side in an instant."

"See? You would have done the same thing as I did."

"Wouldn't it have been a better choice to simply pick her up and run? Why did you have to wreck the truck? You should have just carried her to a safe place and let the truck go on its way."

"I wasn't thinking of that at the time. I just wanted to save her from the danger."

"But the way I just pointed out-"

"I know. You're right. I should have done that. But it's still a lot better than you just standing there doing nothing."

"I would gladly do anything to protect Linnette. You know that."

"Even doing what I did today?"

Victor sighed. "You're right. You're right." Victor walked to the other side of the kitchen. "In a moment like that, I wouldn't have thought. Just acted. Our primary job is to protect Linnette. If anything were to happen to her..."

"Remember, the love we have for her is shared. Whatever you feel for her, I feel as well. There is no need to explain, Victor. I understand." Cedric walked closer to Victor. "She's safe. That's what matters. But if it means that much to you, I can keep a low profile for a while. I will not leave the house."

"There's no need for that, Cedric. It's fine." Victor was quiet for a moment. "Still, it makes me wonder what would happen... No. It's not important. We just need to be more careful. That's all. We can't risk getting exposed."

"Change of topic, Victor. Was that a Hollow I saw just before I stopped the truck? What's one doing all the way out here? I've never seen one roaming around the streets of New York before."

"True, it is a rare thing to witness."

"Why do you think it's here? Or was here?"

"I don't know, Cedric. I really don't."

Linnette shared in their worry. It was strange seeing a Hollow in New York. She hoped they wouldn't find more of them. The last thing they needed now was more attention. If there were going to be more Hollows, then that meant they would have to take action. If they did that...

Linnette hugged her knees. She wondered how Ichigo was doing. It had been a while since she had seen him. She hoped he was well. She wanted to see him again. She wanted to show him how much stronger she had gotten. Maybe even show him the new trick she had learned. She had returned home after their last encounter promising to do better so that the next time they saw each other, she would be stronger. Stronger and able to help.

She turned off the TV so she could hear her guardians better now that they were on the other side of the room. Then something caught her eye. A slit started to form in the middle of the TV room. A door started to open.

"Victor! Cedric!"

Called, the two raced into the room. They, too, saw the door and watched it open. Someone was moving on the other side. They were coming into their home.

* * *

What now?

Please review! ^-^ Thank you.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4:**

It was the middle of the night. A time best suited for sleeping. Many times, Ichigo found himself paroling for Hollows during this time of night when all was quiet and dark, but not this night. This time he was in bed, like a normal human being. He enjoyed these evenings. After a long day in school, coming home for some dinner and finishing his homework, he looked forward to going to bed and sleeping.

"Ichigo. Ichigo."

He felt someone rocking him. It wasn't very soothing at all.

"Ichigo."

He felt two hands on his shoulder and heard his sister's voice calling him. It was little more than a whisper so he tried to go back to sleep.

"Ichigo. Ichigo." She was relentless. She pushed his shoulder forward and back, rocking his body from side to side.

"Mmm? What?"

"Ichigo, wake up. Ichigo, please." She sounded scared.

Hearing the urgency in her voice, Ichigo opened his eyes and turned to face her. Yuzu was looking at him with worried eyes. He looked at the clock on his desk. It was a little after midnight. He had only been asleep for a couple hours. He looked back at Yuzu who was staring at him expectantly. "What's wrong?" he asked her in a whisper.

"There's someone out there."

Ichigo sat up in bed rubbing his eyes. "What?"

"Out there." She pointed out the window.

Ichigo was now a little concerned. If Yuzu could see them then they couldn't have been Hollows or ghosts. It must have been a living person. "Who is it?"

"I don't know. They have a hood up. But they're standing outside our house, just staring at it. I think they're watching us."

It didn't sound like a burglar, but whoever was out there was scaring his sister. Ichigo got out of bed and followed Yuzu into the hall and down the stairs. She looked back every few steps to make sure he was still behind her. When they got to the kitchen, she latched onto his arm and pulled him over to the window facing the street. She made him duck down so they wouldn't be seen and carefully and slowly opened the curtain an inch to peek out.

"Right there. You see them?"

Ichigo looked between the curtains to the figure standing across the street under a streetlight. He was as still as a statue. The way he was standing under the streetlight in a hooded cloak gave him an ominous look. He was just staring at the house, exactly as Yuzu had said.

"He's been out there for hours, I think. He was there when I went to bed. When I checked again he was still there in the same place. He's watching us, Ichigo."

Whoever this man was, he was creepy. Ichigo tried to get a better look at him, turning his head in an attempt to catch a glimpse of his face in the light. His hood was up, covering his face from the light so Ichigo couldn't see who he was. The hood was black and so were his pants. His only exposed skin came from his feet. He wasn't barefoot. He was wearing wooden clogs.

Ichigo growled in annoyance.

"Should we call the police?" Yuzu asked sounding worried.

"No. I know this guy."

"He's a friend of yours?"

"Something like that."

Yuzu relaxed. She wasn't gripping Ichigo's arm so tightly anymore.

"I'll go talk to him." Ichigo stood up and went to the front door.

He opened the door and stepped outside. The air was cool and made his nose tingle. The only sounds he could hear were the chirping of insects and the distant zooming of cars on gravel. It was so peaceful. At least until he made it across the street and started scolding the man on the other side.

"What the hell are you doing?!"

Kisuke smiled, his hood tipping back slightly so Ichigo would see his cheerful face. "Good evening."

Ichigo punched him.

Kisuke held his nose in his right hand. "Did I catch you at a bad time?"

"I asked you what you were doing. Standing out here like some freaky weirdo. You're scaring my little sister."

"Sorry. But I didn't want to call you after dinner. That would have been rude. Everyone's sleeping."

Ichigo clenched his fists, ready to punch him again. "What do you want?" he hissed angrily.

"I've come to pass on a message from the Soul Society."

Ichigo was less tense. "The Soul Society?"

Kisuke nodded. They contacted me for some information not too long ago and mentioned that they wanted to speak with you."

"About what?"

"They didn't say. I came here to tell you. Sorry about scaring your sister, but I figured this would be a good way to get your attention. I figured you would be up and see me from your window."

"When do they want to talk to me?"

"It was mentioned that it would be sometime tomorrow afternoon. At least they gave some heads-up for a change."

Ichigo frowned. "Tomorrow afternoon?"

"Yup."

"Then why the hell didn't you wait to tell me this in the morning or in the afternoon?"

Kisuke grinned. "I couldn't sleep and needed something to do."

Ichigo punched him again. "You're freaking annoying, you know that, Hat-and-Clogs?"

"Sorry, sorry." Kisuke lifted his hood a little further to show more of his face which now had a bloody nose. "But, Ichigo, I urge you to take this seriously."

Kisuke's tone had changed to something less cheerful. He was being very serious.

"The questions they were asking me were troublesome. They wouldn't tell me much, but they did mention wanting to get in contact with you. They had something important to take care of before that which is why I think they're waiting to get a hold of you. They didn't mention very much to me, but it's troubling. Whatever they want with you, please be careful."

Now Ichigo was getting a little concerned. Kisuke only asked him to be careful when things were deadly serious. Whatever was going on, it wasn't sitting well with him.

"I'm sure you don't have anything to worry about. They should have a handle on things. I just want you to be prepared regardless of what happens," said Kisuke. "They say they want to speak with you, but it sounds to me that it's more than just talking. They want you there for something. Whatever it must be, there must be a reason why they want to wait until everything is in order before bringing you there. That's all I'm saying."

Kisuke was right. This wasn't just a simple meeting to check in on how things were going. They must have expected more from him than that.

"Got it."

Even though Kisuke told him it was nothing to worry about, it was difficult for Ichigo to get back to sleep after hearing this. He was up a good part of the night, thinking about it, wondering what they wanted and what was going to happen.

* * *

Ichigo could hardly pay attention in class the next day. He was still dwelling on what Kisuke had told him last night. He was asked to stop by the shop and wait there for Rukia who would be taking him to the Soul Society. When class finally ended, Ichigo said his good-byes to his friends and left as quickly as he could.

"What do they want?" he kept asking himself. "What do they want?"

"Watch!"

Ichigo stopped just short of Uryu who was leaving from a different side of the school building. Ichigo and Uryu stared at each other for a moment, then Uryu turned away.

"Sorry."

"Just watch where you're going, ok, Ichigo?"

"Yeah, sure." Ichigo frowned. "Are you ok?"

Uryu kept walking.

"Uryu!"

"Hm?" He looked up.

"Are you ok?"

"I'm fine."

"It's just..."

"Just what?"

"Nothing. You just seem sort of... distant. You know?"

Uryu looked insulted. "I'm fine. It's nothing. You're imagining things."

Uryu was different. Even during class, he rarely spoke and hesitated when answering questions as if his mind was elsewhere like Ichigo's. Had Kisuke told him the same thing? Maybe not. Uryu was taking a different route than Ichigo. He wasn't heading for the Urahara Shop. As he walked, Uryu kept his head down, distracted by something. Whatever he was thinking about, it must have been very important. He almost walked into traffic two times on his way home.

Ichigo decided to take a detour and follow Uryu. He hid behind a fence and watched Uryu walk to the alley behind his house and stop. He took out a piece of paper from his backpack and gave it a long hard look. It must have been a letter of some sort. He pulled out a book of matches and struck one. He set the paper ablaze and watched it burn. He stomped out the remains of the flame and returned the matches to his bag. He gave a quick look around and left for home. Ichigo watched him enter his house, making sure he wasn't going anywhere else. Ichigo went to the tiny pile of ash on the asphalt and wondered what was written on the piece of paper Uryu burned.

"Whatever it was, it was too important to burn in his house. Maybe more secretive than important actually. He must have not wanted his dad to catch him with it or something." Ichigo went to see Kisuke, all the while thinking about what he had just seen. "Or maybe his dad told him to do that. His dad smokes so I bet that's where he got the matches. Then again, he could have taken the matches himself. I can't see him doing something his father told him to do now that I think about it."

Kisuke welcomed him into the shop and sat Ichigo down to a cup of hot tea and some cookies.

"I thought it was serious business," said Ichigo. "I feel like I'm at a tea party or something."

"Don't tell me you don't have an afternoon snack after class, Ichigo."

He wasn't in the mood.

"So..." Kisuke said, taking a seat across from him. "I'm sure you're wondering what all this is about. To tell you the truth, so am I. No one is telling me anything. What they are telling me isn't much. All I can say for certain is that it's Hollow business in the Soul Society. There's not much going on here, so you should feel some relief."

He did. Ichigo was happy to know that his family wasn't in any immediate danger.

"Something must be going on back at the Soul Society. I don't know what and judging from the lack of information, I'm starting to think even they haven't much of an idea themselves. I know it's not much to go on but I'm in the dark here myself. I wish I had more to give you, but I'm sure Rukia will be able to explain more when she arrives."

It was rare for Kisuke to not know what's going on or have a lack of information. When something happened, Kisuke was usually the one who knew everything. Whatever was going on in the Soul Society must have just occurred or was so contained or secretive that hardly anyone was aware.

Kisuke pushed the plate of cookies closer to Ichigo, hinting strongly that he wanted him to eat some. To appease him, Ichigo took a cookie off the plate and held it.

Kisuke checked his watch and looked around the room. "She should be showing up soon. Sorry there isn't much more to talk about." Kisuke was trying to fill the silence and pass the time. "So how was school?"

"Stop talking." Ichigo took a bite out of the cookie.

Kisuke grinned.

Ichigo finished the cookie in his mouth and reached for another one when he noticed a light shining from the next room. He immediately knew what it was and who had just arrived. He stood up from the table to greet her.

"Hey, Ichigo," said Rukia as she stepped into the room. "Ready to go?"

"Don't worry about a thing," said Kisuke. "We'll look after everything while you're away."

Changing into his Soul Reaper form, Ichigo followed Rukia back to the Soul Society. They wasted no time in getting there. Along the way, Ichigo asked Rukia what all this business was about but she said it could wait until they reached the Soul Society. Ichigo didn't ask again until they arrived.

Ichigo's eyes quickly adjusted to the light as they stepped out into a familiar sight. The Seireitei was bright and full of activity. Passing Soul Reapers greeted them and showed Rukia their respect by bowing their heads and stepping out of her way as she passed by. Ichigo's attitude toward the new Lieutenant hadn't changed. He never bowed to her before she was a Lieutenant and he didn't bow to her now. He didn't see the point. As far as he was concerned, she was his friend so there was no need to show her respect. When he said that out loud, he realized how it sounded but refused to phrase it any other way. No matter how many times she kicked him. If anything, that made him say it louder.

"Now will you tell me what all this is about?" he asked. He was getting annoyed that he had been here for several minutes and still had no answers.

"Lieutenant Kuchiki," a Soul Reaper said, running up to her. "The Captain asked me to tell you that he needs you to head just outside the gate. And to take Kurosaki with you."

"Now? I was just-"

"He says that it's important for Kurosaki to be with you. Says it has something to do with the mission, I think he phrased it."

"Alright, we're on our way." Rukia turned back to him. "Let's go, Ichigo."

Ichigo had to wait even longer to get his answers. He didn't complain about the travel time because they were already decently close to the gate. He wanted answers, but if Ukitake wanted them to go outside for that, then Ichigo had little choice. Maybe this was something he had to see for himself.

They left the Seireitei and stepped outside into an open area. There was nothing. Ichigo turned his head left and right, but nothing caught his attention. He expected to see something great. He didn't know what, but from the way it sounded, he expected to see something extraordinary that would explain or at least give him a clue as to why he was here in the first place.

"Can't you just tell me what's going on already?" Ichigo didn't bother to hide the annoyance in his voice when he spoke to Rukia. "I think I've waited long enough."

"To be honest with you, Ichigo, I would love to know myself."

Ichigo's face softened. "Wait. You don't know?"

"Not really." Rukia sighed. "I've only been told bits and pieces. I was informed that once you were here and everyone this involves was gathered together, we would all hear the news from start to finish. Captain Ukitake said that another Captain was involved and didn't want to explain the same thing multiple times so he thought it would be best to get everyone together then tell us what was going on so there would be no need for repetition."

"Well, that makes sense." Ichigo looked around. If there were many people involved it made more sense to get everyone together rather than explain things individually over and over. He would just have to wait until everyone arrived. The question now on his mind was who else was involved.

He continued to look around for whatever it was he was supposed to be seeing, but he still couldn't find anything. Everything looked normal.

"But how many more people are involved? I thought you guys were holding off until I got here. Now that I am, what's the holdup? Who are we waiting for?"

Rukia didn't answer him. It wasn't because she didn't want to answer him. It was because she was distracted by something. It was a faint Spiritual Pressure she was detecting. She could sense it was a threat and drew her sword. "Ichigo."

Without having to say anything further, he knew. Ichigo and Rukia had been together for a while now and had fought many battles together. They were in sync with each other and knew what to do. They worked well together with need for little words. It had become natural instinct.

Ichigo could see something in the distance and started moving in that direction. The figure was getting closer, moving towards them willingly. It was a threat. Ichigo gripped his sword and prepared to attack.

"Two more on the left," Rukia warned.

These ones were closer. He could tell from this distance that they were Hollows. They were small for Hollows; only slightly taller than himself. It wasn't often that he got a chance to fight something closer to his size but it would be an interesting experience.

Rukia chose one and Ichigo went after the other. She jumped up and slashed the Hollow across the chest, but there was a slight bit of hesitation behind her blade. Something had caused Rukia to second guess herself. She was aware of it but Ichigo was not. He was concentrating on the second Hollow coming at him with claws and teeth.

He sliced the Hollow in half and went for its head to make sure he finished it off. He slashed the head in two and landed with his sword out in front of his body, looking around for more. The one he saw in the distance was no longer in sight, but he knew it hadn't wandered off. It was seeking out its prey.

"There's one further away," he told Rukia. "I'm sure it's a Hollow, too. I'm going after it."

Screaming alerted them to the village ahead. The Hollow had made it to a populated area and was attacking people.

"It made it to the District," said Rukia. "Hurry!"

They ran in a straight line to the village, their cries becoming more urgent as the Soul Reapers drew closer. They were being attacked. Rukia split from Ichigo, taking a path across the rooftops for a better view. Ichigo remained on the ground.

Something grabbed Ichigo around the neck as he passed by a building and hoisted him off the ground.

"Ichigo!" Rukia noticed he was in trouble and stopped running.

The Hollow had its hand around Ichigo's neck and raised him off the ground to its level. Ichigo was stunned for a moment but was able to recover from his shock quickly and reacted. He raised his sword and chopped off the Hollow's hand. It gave a sharp roar and watched its hand fall.

Ichigo landed, jumped back and gripped his sword with both hands to lop off its head next.

He never got the chance. Ichigo remained very still, staring at the Hollow.

It wasn't looking at him. The Hollow was ignoring Ichigo but not because it had lost interest in its opponent. Something was wrong.

There was a long deep laceration in the Hollow's chest. It looked like it had been sliced by an incredibly sharp blade.

Ichigo had not swung his sword so the cause of the wound was a mystery to him.

The Hollow gurgled and fell apart. Between its two halves, through the fresh wound, Ichigo saw a man in white.

Ichigo dropped his shoulders. The familiar face standing behind the Hollow left Ichigo feeling defeated but also very warm inside. "Victor."

Victor's hand was pointed downward and straight like a blade. He straightened up and relaxed his fingers. "Hello, Ichigo," he greeted warmly. "It's been a while."

It had been a while. He had almost forgotten the man's handsome face. Since it never changed, it was easy for Ichigo to identify him.

"Wait, if you're here... Then..." Ichigo started looking around for the rest of the family.

"Hi, Ichigo!"

The cheerful voice brought his attention to the rooftop. Linnette was waving enthusiastically from Cedric's shoulders.

"Linnette. And Cedric."

Cedric hopped down and landed on the ground with ease. He lowered his body for Linnette to get off, but she could hardly contain herself and couldn't wait for him to ease her down gently. She jumped off his shoulders, stumbled a bit and ran the rest of the way to Ichigo. She threw her arms around his waist and hugged him tightly. She was incredibly happy to see him.

"Ichigo, it's great to see you! It's been almost two whole years! How have you been? Did you miss me? Did you get the other letters I sent you a while ago? Have you been busy? What have you been doing? I have so much I want to tell you!"

"Take a breath, sweetie," said Victor. "You are so excited."

"Let's space out the questions a little bit, hm?" said Cedric. "Give him a minute to answer them. He can't possibly do it all at once."

"I didn't except him to answer everything at once," said Linnette.

Cedric nodded to Ichigo in greeting. "Good to see you."

"Same here," said Ichigo. "I take you guys are the ones we were waiting for."

"We were called here earlier and told that you would also be showing up. We haven't been told any details other than we all have to wait until everyone has arrived. Then we will be giving an explanation."

It seemed Ichigo wasn't the only one in this position. They had done the same thing to Linnette's group.

"Now that we're together, we can finally get answers." Ichigo called for Rukia. "Come on, Rukia. Let's head back and see what's going on."

"Don't order me around like that. I'm a Lieutenant now." Even while lecturing him, she still followed beside him.

* * *

What could this be about? Any thoughts?

Please review! ^-^


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5:**

The gate to the Seireitei opened and the group walked inside. Linnette walked beside Ichigo and Rukia, Victor and Cedric close behind. Rukia led the group to where they needed to go. The Soul Reaper she spoke with told her the location of the Captain who wanted to speak with them and would be giving them the information they were waiting to hear.

Their journey took them to the Squad 12 laboratory.

Victor had run-ins with Mayuri before and didn't care for him. He could tolerate that man up to a point but when it came to Linnette, he became even more protective and had a shorter fuse. As they entered the lab, Victor pulled closer to Linnette and told her to stay close to him. He would not let go of her hand.

Many strange-looking Soul Reapers passed them by in the lab and some pointed them in the Captain's direction.

"Hey," said Akon as he passed by. "The Captain's in there. He's been waiting."

The group entered the room Akon pointed to and sure enough, there was the Captain. Mayuri was hunched over a table, tinkering with something no one could identify. There was a round table with many buttons near him which seemed important, so the group gathered around that.

"Finally, you're here," said Mayuri. There was a slight hiss to his voice, like a crafty man excited for mysterious reasons. This made Victor a little more anxious. "Come, come, come. Gather around. That's it. Don't keep me waiting any longer. This is important. Hurry up, now."

They weren't sure what Mayuri wanted but they were desperate to know. All this mystery was getting annoying. Whether it was good news or bad news, they just wanted to know and put an end to the guessing and uncertainty.

"Alright, good. I'm glad we're all here. This way I don't have to repeat myself. Unless it's for reasons like your tiny minds being unable to fathom what it is I'm talking about so I'll have to repeat and maybe dumb it down for you. They say repetition is good for learning and retaining information, but I'm a busy man and do I look like I have the time to be..?"

"Just get to the point," Ichigo said impatiently.

"Very well. I'll get right to it." Mayuri jumped right in, no longer wasting time. "As I'm sure you're aware, there's a bit of Hollow trouble going around and not the usual kind. There's something off about them. Which is why I wanted to send you out there to face a couple of them so you would have a better idea of what I'm talking about." He turned to Rukia and Ichigo. "Did you notice something about them?"

Ichigo had no clue what he was talking about, but Rukia did. "Yes," she said. "I noticed a couple of things off about these Hollows. I wasn't really aware of it until I got close enough to cut them. As my Zanpakuto got close to their bodies, I noticed something strange. I can't really explain it. I think it had something to do with their Spiritual Pressure. At a distance, they have the same feel as most other Hollows. But when I got closer, I noticed that something was different. It was so faint but I could sense it."

"I didn't sense anything," said Ichigo.

"Well, you suck at it anyway."

Mayuri continued. "I'm glad you noticed that there was something off about them. You see, a week ago, we started to notice something odd about certain Hollows. It isn't all of them. Only a select few. So I started doing some research on the subject. These particular Hollows happen to be in close proximity to populated areas. Districts are unlikely to see a lot of Hollow activity so it's odd seeing so many appear in towns and villages. That was another thing I found odd about them. I conducted more research and I found something interesting."

"Yeah, what?"

"That the places plagued with these Hollows are also having issues with missing people. A few people have gone missing in some Districts."

"So these Hollows are eating people. Isn't that what they do?" said Ichigo.

"That's not the interesting part. I thought of that at first, but I realized that wasn't the case. You see, the exact number of people missing match the exact number of Hollows appearing in these Districts."

Rukia understood. "The missing people are the Hollows."

"Precisely."

This was troubling news.

"Hang on a second," said Ichigo. "I thought Soul Reapers perform a Konso on Souls so they don't become Hollows and can move on to the Soul Society. I thought once they got here, they can't become Hollows. Only if they're still in the World of the Living and..." Ichigo was certain a person could not become a Hollow once they reached this point. Either that or he was mistaken and didn't know what he was talking about.

"You're right," said Mayuri. "It is highly unlikely for a someone here to become a Hollow for no reason like this. A Konso is to prevent that and to send them off to a better place than where they were before. Which is why this struck me as highly unusual. Which is why I took it to the next step. We managed to capture one of these strange Hollows so I could run some tests. And the results are the exact reason I called you all here for this. You are all involved."

"What do you mean we're all involved?" asked Ichigo. He didn't like being accused. Then he noticed that Mayuri was also talking to Linnette's group.

Mayuri pressed a button on the round table between them. The table's surfaced began to glow and projected something. It was a hologram displaying different numbers and formulas and a lot of data Ichigo couldn't recognize.

"This is what I discovered in the Hollow." Mayuri turned to Victor. "Does this look familiar to you?"

Victor looked at the screen glowing in the space between them. After a moment, Victor's face changed to one of surprise and outrage. "I should say so," he said calmly, even though his face was serious. "That's my Hollow serum."

"Your what?!" Ichigo spun around.

"You remember," Mayuri said for Victor. "It's the formula he came up with to turn people into Hollows. He's used it a few times before, as you might recall."

"That was in the past," said Victor. "My reasons for doing that-"

"Were for her. Yes, I know."

"Things are different now," said Victor. "I did it without asking if it was something she wanted. I took it upon myself thinking I was doing something that would make her happy. I realize it was wrong. The actions I took and taking it upon myself without asking what she thought or what she truly wanted. It was a mistake and I vowed never to do it again. I will never do anything that would hurt my Linnette."

"Aw, touching," Mayuri said flatly.

"I did not do this," Victor said firmly, pointing at the screen.

"I'm sure you didn't. I'm not accusing you. I'm just saying it is your formula."

In so many words, Mayuri was hinting that someone else had discovered Victor's serum and was using it for their own purposes.

"I do not know how someone would have gotten a hold of that information," said Victor.

"And how is that?" asked Mayuri.

"Because I never wrote it down."

Ichigo knew it was the truth. Victor could hold information in his mind, even complicated information, without ever needing to write it down. Back when they first met and when the formula was first introduced, Victor was more than capable of keeping track of such things. He was inhuman. Even though a lot of time had passed and Victor had made some changes, Ichigo knew that Victor would never write down this sort of information. Especially if no one was to know about it.

"He's telling the truth," said Ichigo. "He never wrote it down. No one was supposed to know about it. Not even Linnette. He never told her he was doing this. Even Cedric didn't know. Victor kept this whole thing to himself so no one would find out about it. If he wrote it down, it could fall into the wrong hands and he would never risk such a thing. So I'm certain he never wrote it down."

"Even so, how could someone get this sort of information? He didn't tell anyone about it?"

"Of course not. Didn't you hear what I said?"

Mayuri frowned. "Well, the only other explanation is that someone had analyzed it when they were making a cure. And I know Kisuke had done that before."

"So you're saying he's responsible?"

"No. That's also unlikely," said Mayuri. "All these Hollows are located here. None of them have shown up in the World of the Living. Which brings me to the conclusion that whoever is responsible for this, is located here in the Soul Society."

That made sense. Now they just had to figure out who it was.

"Just a minute," Rukia said fearfully. "If that's the case... about it being Victor's formula and all that... Then those Hollows we attacked are actually innocent people. Kisuke came up with a vaccine. We could have cured them!"

Ichigo shared her fear. They had just killed innocent people who could have been saved.

"Wrong," said Mayuri. "I thought of that, but that isn't the case. As it turns out, that cure would only work on human beings. The ones effected here are not living human beings."

"But the cure worked on Soul Reapers who were effected. Not just humans."

"I noticed something," said Victor. "This is my formula... but not exactly. It's been changed. There are things here that I had not done. I didn't come up with this."

"Exactly," said Mayuri. "That's what I'm trying to tell you. Victor's formula had been altered. Whoever has this has been tinkering with it. So the cure Kisuke came up with would not work anyway. And before you say that he could come up with another, save your breath. This formula has been changed to become more potent and deadly. Those innocent people could not be saved. Once they became Hollows, they're Hollows for good. Just the same way as it would be if a Soul becomes a Hollow in the World of the Living. There is no help for them."

They were both relieved and frightened at this news. They had killed Hollows after all and not innocent people who could have been saved. However, this also meant that if this formula ended up in someone they knew, there was no way to save them once they changed.

"What's even worse is that no matter what, the person is going to die." Mayuri gestured to the screen. "The Hollow I did this study on and took samples from died this morning. I had it in captivity for a total of three days before it ended up dying."

"What does this mean?" asked Cedric. "Was it a certain cause?"

He nodded. "It seems that because it's an unnatural Hollowfication, the person's body could not handle it. Basically, the body fell apart. Painfully. I can't say there was no suffering. But the Hollow did not leave a body behind to be studied so I don't have anymore details at this time. However, there is something else I should mention."

"Is it good news?" Ichigo asked.

"Wishful thinking. No. I came across another Hollow of this sort and before it was killed, I managed to get a sample from that. It's slightly different from this one. Which means that whoever is doing this is still tinkering. The formula is constantly changing."

"That could mean that the person doing this is still trying to perfect it," said Rukia.

"Or they want to make sure no one can come up with a way to cure this. If at all possible," said Cedric.

"Well, that's why I brought you all here," said Mayuri. "One way or another, you're involved. This is Victor's formula. I'm not sure how we can remedy this, but we'll have to. And since a lot of these Hollows are showing up closer to the Seireitei, I have a feeling something is about to occur."

"I can help, too, can't I?" asked Linnette. "I want to help."

Mayuri didn't try to hide his rolling eyes. "While is it remarkable that you managed to create these astounding men who do your bidding, you yourself are nothing."

"Mind your words," Victor warned.

"I'm not calling her worthless. Don't put words in my mouth," said Mayuri. "I'm simply stating that other than her singing voice, she is no different from normal, average human beings. Compared to others, she is weak. I don't see how she can help in this situation. The last thing we need is someone getting in the way."

"But you just said that my voice sets me apart from others. And we are fighting Hollows, so I can help."

"I only called you here, because I knew these two would not come without you," said Mayuri. "You're just a chew toy a couple of dogs are too stubborn to let go of. I can only get them to heel if they are holding onto you."

Cedric clenched his fists, making Ichigo very nervous. He knew they wouldn't hesitate to rip Mayuri to shreds if it meant defending Linnette.

"Besides," Mayuri went on, "in this situation, even if we are against Hollows, we also have some among us." He gestured to Ichigo. "Do you honestly think he can fight at full capacity with her around? When she uses her voice, his Hollow surfaces and the real Ichigo becomes dormant. How can we get everyone on the same page at an important moment if one is unconscious and a Hollow has taken his place? Even if he is tame, it's not a good situation. What if there is a fight going on, you use your voice and the other one is thrust into battle without a clue as to what's going on? That is just one example. I have many more."

Linnette wasn't offended at all. In fact, she was smiling. She was brimming with excitement. "That won't happen anymore," she said.

Victor and Cedric calmed their anger and turned her her, grinning.

Mayuri was intrigued. They all knew something he didn't. Did she have a new weapon of some sort? He was curious.

Rukia and Ichigo were interested as well.

"What do you mean that won't happen anymore?"

Linnette was still smiling. "I was so excited to tell you," she said to Ichigo. "Do you mind if I show everyone what I've been working on?"

She wanted to give a demonstration. Ichigo was dying to know himself. "Uh, sure. Go ahead."

She grinned brightly at him. Then she turned to face Mayuri. Ichigo wasn't sure what to expect or if she wanted him to do anything. He just stood where he was and waited for something to happen.

"I'd like to speak to Hollow, please."

In an instant, Ichigo's eyes changed to gold and black. His head turned from side to side as if seeing this place for the first time. "What..? How did..?" His Hollow was piloting his body.

Rukia was astonished. "She... She didn't even..."

Linnette then said, "I want Ichigo to come back now."

Ichigo's eyes changed to their usual brown and he staggered back, slightly off balance. For a moment, he couldn't feel anything but he knew something had happened. It felt like he had been asleep on his feet. "What the hell was that? What happened?"

"She made your Hollow appear!" Rukia couldn't stop herself from blurting out those worlds.

"She did?" Ichigo was confused. "But... But I didn't hear her sing."

"She didn't!"

"She didn't?"

"Yup!" Linnette was very proud of herself. "I told you the last time we met that I would become stronger so I could help you. So this is what I've been doing."

"What exactly was that?" he asked her.

"I don't have to sing in order to call your Hollow to the surface. It's not just my song. It's my voice."

Ichigo wasn't sure how to respond to this new development. "So just by talking..? Then why can I still be here while you're talking to me?" he asked.

"It's complicated. I always thought that it was my singing voice that did it. Then I remembered that sometimes while I'm talking to Hollows, they remain tame even if they haven't heard my song for a few minutes. It seemed to last longer and it made me wonder why that was. So I've been practicing and working hard. And I made a discovery. In short, my song can be used on a crowd. But to effect individual Hollows, I can use my voice. Just by talking to them!"

Victor was smiling. "She was so excited to tell you about this, she could hardly wait."

"Now I can help you in battle without my voice effecting you."

This was wonderful news. Her voice effecting Hollows and Ichigo at the same time was a bit of a handicap. Now things would be different.

"It's not exactly perfected," Linnette admitted. "There's still room for improvement. But this should help a little."

"How many Hollows can you tame without using your singing voice?" asked Rukia.

"Just a small number. My singing voice is stronger which is why it works on large groups. But if you need me to talk to one or two Hollows without effecting Ichigo, I can do that." Linnette looked down. "But there is a slight problem."

Cedric put his hands on her shoulders. "She can only use her speaking voice on Hollows who have already heard her singing voice. So in order to effect new Hollows, she still has to use her song first before speaking to them. If she speaks to ones who have yet to hear her sing, they will not be effected. We think it has something to do with them recognizing her voice from the songs they've heard, and that's why..."

"But I'm stronger than I was and this should help out a lot," she said. "Right, Ichigo?"

Ichigo patted her on the head. "Sure does. Great job, Linnette, You're a big help." This was a huge step for her and she deserved encouragement. He knew she worried that she wasn't able to help them and got in the way when a battle was going on. He knew she would get better and she was doing this to help her friends. Offering her some praise was a good way for her to know she was on the right path and that they were cheering her on.

"The improvement you've made is a little impressive," admitted Mayuri. "I hadn't thought you were capable of such a thing. However, that little setback poses a problem as you know. And as of now, I'm not certain how it would effect the situation with these Hollows. It could tame them or it could not. That remains to be seen. In any case, it doesn't solve the problem. We must find out who is doing this and why."

"I could always ask the Hollows if they remember who did this to them," said Linnette.

"I thought you had issues with that before. Since you can communicate with the Hollows, but not the actual person while the Hollow is in control. What I mean is, you've tried asking Hollows what happened to them and they have no recollection of what transpired. All they knew was the now and not how it came to be. These people could be the same."

"We won't know unless we try."

Mayuri wasn't convinced. He was finding a lot of flaws in Linnette's thinking. More than he was bringing to their attention. He doubted that interrogating these Hollows would result in finding the one who did this to them. They were still unaware of how this person was doing this in the first place. Was this some sort of pill they had to swallow or an injection or a gas they had to breath in?

"Now that everyone is on the same page, you can leave," said Mayuri. "There's nothing further we can discuss until we get more information. Feel free to look for the culprit if you wish, but without anything to go on, you won't get far."

Ichigo was happy to leave. He hated being in this lab. It had a lot of strange smells, plenty of sharp objects and too many people running around doing different tasks. Most of all, he hated feeling like he was about to be probed. Even though he wasn't strapped to a table, he felt like one of Mayuri's experiments.

"What do we do in the meantime?" asked Rukia.

"Like I care," said Mayuri. "But if anymore of those Hollows show up, be sure to save me some of it so I can run some tests. All the drama aside, it is actually quite fascinating."

"You have strange ideas..." Ichigo said under his breath. He was ready to leave.

He was one of the first people to the door. Victor and Linnette were close behind. He was ushering Linnette out the door, wanting to leave as soon as possible. Cedric was behind them but Mayuri kept calling him back, asking to run some tests on him.

"You ran tests on Victor. Any tests you do to me will match the data you took from him," said Cedric. "We are the same structurally."

"But you are indeed different which is why I want to compare the two of you. You seem to have different personalities and even your physical appearances are different. You're taller and have different color hair, you are more muscular, have different taste in clothing..."

"I gave you my answer, now leave me alone."

Mayuri would not stop asking them. He stopped at the door, but he wasn't giving up the pursuit. He would ask again at a different time. When he set his mind to something, he did not give up easily.

Rukia knew he was still after the two men and advised him to devote that effort into finding a way to resolve the latest Hollow issue and hopefully find the one responsible.

Now that they were no longer in the lab, Victor eased off a little and allowed Linnette more room to wander around. Predictably, she stayed by Ichigo's side. She said anything that came to mind and Ichigo listened politely.

As they walked, several Soul Reapers passed them by, smiling in greeting and saying 'hello'. Then a Captain started coming their way. Ichigo decided to greet him first. "Hey, Shinji."

Shinji looked up and smiled at him. He started to open his mouth to say something, then his eyes grew wide and he froze. He looked scared. Gasping in horror, he covered his ears and ran down another hallway as fast as he could.

Ichigo frowned. "What was that all about? Never saw him do that before."

He looked down at Linnette who had a sad look on her face. She had noticed Shinji's reaction.

That was when Ichigo realized that Shinji had run away as soon as he saw Linnette. In fact, Ichigo knew it was Linnette he was running from because Shinji had covered his ears. That was proof.

Suddenly, he remembered. Years ago, back when Ichigo had first met Linnette as a rising star in Karakura Town, he went to visit the Vizards but they weren't at their usual hideout. The was a note fixed to the building saying that when they heard Linnette was showing up, they knew they had to get out of there quickly and would return when it was safe. They had already had a run-in with her before and wanted to prevent the same thing from happening again.

That was why Shinji had run off. He knew about her ability and being a Vizard couldn't take the risk. However, Shinji and the others were not aware that Linnette was no longer a rising star. She lived an average life with Victor and Cedric. She no longer used her abilities the way she used to with their encouragement. She was different now. Shinji didn't know that. He must have seen Linnette as a threat.

Ichigo put a hand on her back to comfort her. Linnette shook her head. "It's fine. I had a feeling other people with Hollow powers wouldn't like me."

"You know Shinji is a Vizard?" Ichigo asked.

She shook her head. "Not really. I just knew because of his reaction. He covered his ears and ran. Who else would do that?"

Ichigo gave her a sympathetic pat on the back. He knew it must have been disheartening to have people run from her with a look of fear on their face. He hated those looks himself. When his Hollow got out of control, he would awaken after the dust had settled with no memory of what had transpired but saw the destruction around him. The looks of horror on his friends' faces and the wounded, both friend and foe. It wasn't a good feeling.

"I can talk to him if you want," he suggested.

"Nah, that's ok. Don't worry about it."

He couldn't let it go. He wanted Shinji to at least know that Linnette wasn't a threat. If he wasn't made aware of that fact, it could cause trouble.

They went down another hallway, passing by another Captain carrying a small stack of books. Ichigo greeted him and he greeted him back.

"What's up, Ichigo?" asked Kensei. He looked down at Linnette. "You look familiar. Have I seen you somewhere before?"

"Oh, yeah." Ichigo made the introduction, hoping he would be able to explain things. He wanted a calm approach. "Kensei, this is Linnette."

"Holy flipping crap!" Kensei dropped the books and ran.

"Hey, wait!" Ichigo called after him but Kensei was already gone. He didn't want to listen. Ichigo sighed in defeat. "Sorry about that, Linnette. I thought I could let him know that..."

"It's ok. He might not listen anyway. I'll just hang around with you and the other people I made friends with."

Though Linnette acted like it wasn't a big deal, Ichigo could tell she was hurt. These Vizards were avoiding her like she had the plague. Ichigo wanted to change that. She could be a real help to them. Especially after what they had learned from Mayuri. Linnette might be able to do something to assist them. If a battle ensued, she could also help out then if the situation called for it. None of that would be possible if these Soul Reaper Captains weren't on the same page. They had to give her a chance.

Then another Soul Reaper came by. This one acted without fear. "Yo, Ichigo. What's up? I take it you and Rukia managed to meet with the Captain of Squad 12, right? What did you guys talk about anyway? I'm being kept in the dark about this. Hate that."

Ichigo grinned. "Hi, Renji. Yeah, we met up. You don't know the details either?"

"Well, I heard some things. It's all pretty hush-hush. Something having to do with Hollows, right?"

"Uh, yeah." Ichigo looked down at Linnette. "You know... I heard Rukia mention that her Captain was getting a lot of sweets put together for your arrival. Why don't you head there? I'm going to fill Renji in on what we talked about. Since you already heard it once, it'll be boring. But I'll talk to you later, ok?"

Linnette nodded. "Ok." She turned back to Victor and Cedric who walked with her in a different direction.

Ichigo waited until they were gone. "Alright. I'll fill you in."

He told Renji about their meeting. As soon as he was finished, Renji went back to the one thing that stuck out the most to him. Out of all the information, this one detail made him want to say something.

"Typical. Should have known Victor would screw us over one way or another. I never trusted that guy. Or the other one, actually. Guy just stares at you and doesn't talk much. Compared to the other one."

"It's not his fault," said Ichigo. "He didn't do it."

"But he made the damn formula. How is it not his fault? If he hadn't created that thing in the first place, none of this would be happening. Someone has a hold of it only because it existed and that's only because Victor created it."

Ichigo had a hard time arguing that fact.

"Let's be honest here. Those guys are trouble. They were in the past and they are now. We don't need them around."

"That's not true," argued Ichigo. "Sure, the first time or two they were a problem, but now we're friends. Have you forgotten that they helped us fight before?"

"Sure, they're good now and are helping us. But they're causing trouble anyway. If Victor hadn't done what he did in the past then it wouldn't be a problem for us now."

"It was a mistake."

"And we're paying for it."

"And so is Victor!" Ichigo snapped. "He's sorry. I know he is. He's truly sorry and he's paying for it. Now he has to work extra hard to earn everyone's trust and Linnette's. Not to mention how he must feel knowing he caused her pain which he's devoted his whole life to never letting anyone do. Yet he's the one who caused her the pain he's working so hard to make sure it never happens and of all people he's the one who does it. Can you imagine how that must make him feel?"

"Like you know?"

"I know if I ever did anything to hurt my sisters, I would never be able to forgive myself. What if you hurt Rukia? How would you feel then? How can you live with yourself?"

Renji didn't have a response. He knew it was the same feeling. Hurting someone he cared about would be very painful. He would never be able to forget it. It would be difficult to move on after such a thing.

Ichigo was about to continue when he saw someone pass by behind him. "Shinji, wait a second."

The Captain stopped. He looked behind Ichigo and around his legs to make sure Linnette was not with him.

"Don't worry, she's not here. But that's what I want to talk to you about."

"I'd rather not talk about it."

"Shinji, it's important. Linnette is on our side now. She doesn't use her powers like that anymore. It's fine."

He looked away. "Not exactly that simple, Ichigo."

"She's different now. Things have changed. I can be around her and I'm fine. There's no reason you have to worry about that-"

"Listen, Ichigo," Shinji said with a sigh. "I know you're trying to help convince me and I'm telling you right now it's not going to work. But not because I cannot be convinced. There's another reason."

"Yeah?"

Shinji sighed again. "It's nothing personal. It's nothing against her. It's just... I don't want to take that risk. It's not personal."

"Sure sounds like it is."

"You don't understand," Shinji told him. "You haven't exactly been around for the past couple years. After Aizen's defeat and all that. You can see I became a Captain again. But it wasn't an easy process. Having Hollow powers was exactly why they wanted to kill us. Even if we weren't willing participants. That was why we went into hiding in the World of the Living. There was a lot of distrust. The battle with Aizen allowed us a chance. A lot went on. Some people still don't trust us. Hollows are unpredictable. You know that."

"Yeah... But..."

"But trust is still an issue. We had to convince a lot of people that we had our Hollow powers under control. We were given a chance. If anything happens with Linnette around, it could all go up in smoke. Forget trust. We could be killed. I just don't want to take that risk. So I'm avoiding her. Even if she won't use her voice, even if she promises, there is always a chance of something happening. I'd rather avoid her to make sure it doesn't happen. It's not a personal thing. I'm just being cautious."

"But what you're doing to her is what you hated when people did it to you," said Ichigo. "You're not giving her a chance and that's no different from you guys not being given a chance. The distrust you have is the same thing you're doing to Linnette."

"I don't need a lecture, Ichigo. I told you how it is. We just don't want to take the risk. It's a real threat. We can't have her jeopardize everything we worked so hard for. And having no control over yourself is something I don't want to experience again."

Even if a Vizard had control over their Hollow, Linnette's voice could change everything. They had no say, no control. When they heard her voice, there was nothing they could do.

"We never met her in person. We saw her at a distance once and saw her posters. We heard her song and went nuts. When we woke up, we had no idea what had happened. It was crazy. So pardon me for not wanting to go through that again."

"So you're going to avoid her on the off chance that something could happen." It was not a question from Ichigo. More of a statement.

Shinji turned away. "I told you what's going on. I'm not going to repeat myself. I'm not changing my mind and I know you're stubborn, too. Just leave it as it is. I gave you my reasons." He turned and walked away.

No matter what, Shinji was going to avoid Linnette. Even if she wasn't a threat, he didn't want to take the chance.

"She's not a threat," Ichigo called after him. "You're worried about nothing."

"Even if a crocodile's mouth is propped open with a stick, that doesn't mean I'm going to stick my hand between its jaws. Why take the risk? Something could happen." Shinji rounded a corner and was gone.

Ichigo grumbled under his breath. "What a pain in the ass..."

He returned to Renji who was outside on the porch, staring out over his home. Ichigo joined him.

"They sent out a few Soul Reapers to investigate what's been happening. They left yesterday and should be coming back today to report," he said. "They were supposedly going to a spot where some of these weird Hollows have been showing up but there hasn't been much activity the past couple of days. They were due back a couple hours ago, I think. Maybe they ran into some of those Hollows and that's why they're late. I heard Iba complaining about them."

"Did you want to go check?" asked Ichigo.

"Nah. I'm just waiting to see that gate move. I want to know what they found out." Renji leaned on the handrail in front of his chest. "I was thinking about what you said. About those guys."

"Victor and Cedric?"

"Yeah, them. You said to imagine how they must have felt. I agreed with you about feeling sick to my stomach about something as intense as that. But then I started thinking..." Renji turned his head to look at Ichigo. "Those guys aren't even real people. Didn't you discover a while back that they weren't real? That Linnette had made them up?"

"Yeah, we did."

"And they don't bleed or do a lot of human things. They're inhuman and superhuman. So... I was just wondering. Can they... Do they even have feelings?"

"Of course they do." Ichigo didn't hesitate to answer. He felt it was obvious.

"But if these guys are artificial, then aren't their feelings? Even loving Linnette and caring about her. Isn't that just because they're programed to or something?"

Ichigo had had this conversation before. It was getting annoying now. He opened his mouth to answer.

"Their feelings are genuine," said Rukia. She stepped onto the porch to answer Renji. "We've had this talk before and I know the answer. I've also witnessed a few things myself to know that it's true. They do have feelings. Real feelings. They are real people where it matters."

Ichigo was happy she came to their defense and that she had a good answer. Artificial bodies or not, Victor and Cedric were real people.

"I've seen them take actions without being told, they have different personalities and interests and likes. I've seen a lot of things that they do. And before you go talking about being programed to do something or feel a certain way, then think again. You might have an argument if they were only interested in Linnette, but I've got news for you. I've seen them care and show concern for other people other than her. She may be their top priority, but they also have friends. I've seen how they care about Ichigo and he isn't Linnette. So there you have it, Renji. You have no real argument. They are real people so don't go talking like that."

Renji sighed in defeat. "Yeah, yeah. Alright."

"These guys are complicated. Most of us have only scratched the surface of them. So don't go around thinking you've cracked the code or something. Now that you know they have real feelings, don't go around hurting them. Especially since I've seen them worry about this stuff, too."

Ichigo was possibly the first one of their group to see it. Victor and Cedric's insecurity. If it wasn't asking about certain traits normal humans possessed, it was self discovery. Very often, Victor and Cedric tried to figure out what they were. They had concluded that they knew enough about themselves and were satisfied.

"But how do you know if they only care about Ichigo because Linnette does?" asked Renji. "What if they only care because they knew if anything happened to him that she would be upset? They could just care about him because it's in her best interest."

"I doubt that," said Rukia. "Sure, I thought that, too, for a while. But that's not the case. I've seen them go to Ichigo and have conversations with him about things having little or anything to do with Linnette. Very personal questions have been asked, so obviously they trust him and think of him as a friend."

Again she had given a good answer. Ichigo was happy to know that he didn't always have to answer these sort of questions when it came to Victor and Cedric. Rukia understood them, too.

Renji looked off into the distance. Ichigo and Rukia turned as well.

The gate was opening.

* * *

What will happen now? What's next?

Please review! ^-^


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6:**

"It's about time," Iba called loudly. He marched down the street and over to the group of Soul Reapers. "You're running a little late. We expected you back here a while ago. Did you run into trouble?"

"You could say that," said one of the men.

Iba came closer. "So what did you find out? We're looking forward to your report." Iba looked carefully at the Soul Reapers standing closest to him. They weren't as lively as they were when they left. At first he thought it was because they were worn out after their trip. Now he was having second thoughts. The Soul Reapers behind them kept their heads down as if they were trying to hide. "Is everything alright?"

The Soul Reapers hiding behind the ones in the front answered, "Everything's fine."

"You're acting strangely." Iba looked from one Soul Reaper to the next. The ones in front weren't speaking and the ones in the back were keeping their heads down. Something wasn't right. Suspicious, Iba gave them an order. "I want a role-call. Now."

"Why?"

"Starting from you here in the front. Speak your name."

The Soul Reaper in the front row didn't speak. No one in the front spoke. The Soul Reapers in the back turned to each other and with a single nod, moved. The Soul Reapers in the front dropped to the ground and the Soul Reapers in the back sprang forward. Iba couldn't draw his sword in time. Two Soul Reapers brushed past him, inflicting deep wounds to his face and chest. The last thing Iba saw as he hit the ground were the Soul Reapers from the front row laying on the ground beside him. They were all dead.

"Now!"

They shed their Soul Reaper uniforms and revealed their true identities. Five Quincies cloaked in the uniforms of the Soul Reapers they had killed. They ran into the Seireitei moving swiftly like organized ninja.

"Spread out and find him!"

"Yes, sir!" They split up, each going down a different street.

By this time, several Soul Reapers became aware of what was happening and prepared for battle. As soon as they spotted a Quincy, they attacked.

"Too slow, baby!" One Quincy drew a weapon and sliced everyone in his path. Soul Reapers dropped left and right, grasping their wounds. "Yeah! That's what I'm talking about! Come on, come on, come on! Come at me, Soul Reapers! Show me what you've got!"

"There's one!" Soul Reapers started to take aim at another Quincy. This one was a bit slower than the others and looked like he was trying to avoid a battle. He stopped as soon as he saw them take aim at his body and hid behind the small object in his hands. It was a mirror.

"It's seven against one. You can't win!"

The Quincy peered over his mirror and looked at them with a calm expression. "I never expected to. So that's no surprise to me. You, however, are in for a surprise of your own."

"What do you mean?"

Suddenly, Soul Reapers began to drop, each one with an arrow in his body.

"See? I bet you weren't expecting that," said the man with the mirror. He looked up at the Quincy hiding between buildings and nodded to him. The Quincy nodded back and moved on to his next target.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah! Zalya in the house, baby! Yeah!" A Quincy zoomed past them, yelling as loud as he could.

"Please, Zalya," said the man with the mirror. "You'll attract more of them. Yelling like that will only cause them to converge to our location."

"Shut it, Yaku! I'm having fun," said Zalya. "Besides, isn't the whole point to take down as many as we can? The way I see it, the more who come the more we get to kill. Fine by me."

Yaku sighed. "Sometimes, I wish you were more like Sharif. Well, half of him, at least."

"That freak-show ain't as awesome and cool as I am."

"At least he knows how to keep quiet and can take them down one by one before they know what hit them."

"Eh, I like my opponents to know who took them down. They'll die knowing it was the awesome Zalya, baby!"

Yaku sighed again. "Never listens to me. How depressing..."

* * *

"What the hell was that?"

Renji stood up tall and looked off in the direction of the racket. He saw dust clouds forming in the distance and could hear people screaming. "Something's going on down there. I think we're under attack."

Ichigo grabbed his sword. Rukia joined him.

"I'm heading over there," said Renji. "You guys try to figure out who's attacking us and try to help the injured. Report to the other Captains that we-"

"Forget that!" Ichigo charged ahead of Renji, wanting to fight.

"Hey! I said-"

Rukia jumped over him and ran off the join the fight.

"Never mind..." Renji went after them.

Linnette, who had been watching from the window, saw Ichigo and the others run off in the direction of the battle and wanted to join them. "Victor, Cedric! Ichigo needs us. Let's go!"

Soul Reapers from all over joined the fight, all converging on a single location, just as the Quincy had predicted they would. For every Soul Reaper that joined, one fell in defeat. They weren't prepared for an enemy this strong. The medics were having a difficult time trying to aid the injured amidst the fighting. Six from Squad 4 were already taken down when they tried to move the injured away from the battle. The enemy didn't want the Soul Reapers to be healed. Not a single one would be allowed to live.

One medical squad managed to make it to Iba's location and tried to treat him where he was.

"Five... Quincy..." he managed to gasp out.

"How the hell did they get in?"

"They were dressed as... Soul Reapers... They hid behind... their... corpses."

The medical team looked at the bodies of their fallen friends and began to shake. The enemy killed their comrades and used their corpses to sneak inside the Seireitei. They even went so far as to don the clothes of the dead to disguise themselves.

"Just who are these guys?"

The medical teams couldn't keep up. People were being injured faster than they could treat. There were simply too many. To make matters worse, they weren't able to get close to even carry the injured away. The Quincies would attack them every time they tried to help the injured. Some were held hostage in buildings, kept at bay by a barrage of arrows.

"One little, two little, three little Reapers! Four little, five little, six little Reapers!" Zalya danced and sang, cutting down every Soul Reaper in his path. Even ones who were running away from the battle he cut down, their backs to his arrows. He cut down those who he found hiding and even the medics who wanted to avoid fighting and wanted only to help the injured. He kicked in the door concealing the people from Squad 4 and smirked as they begged for mercy.

"We don't want to fight!" cried a woman. "We only came to carry away the fallen."

"I guess that includes you now, right, baby?" Zalya took aim at the woman.

"Please! We're not even armed!" Hanataro begged, holding up his empty hands as proof.

Zalya scoffed. "Don't care, baby." He aimed an arrow at Hanataro's chest.

"Please! Please, don't!"

Zalya was thrown to the side and his arrow lodged in the ceiling over Hanataro's head. Zalya rolled onto his feet and looked around for the person who kicked him. "Who the hell are you?"

"Renji Abarai." His Zanpakuto was unleashed and ready, twisting in the air like a snake. "I take it you're one of the morons who have come to attack us where we live. Am I right?"

"That you are, baby." Zalya straightened up and posed as if proud he had been discovered. "I am Zalya. Zalya the Blood Wielder. Like it? You want to know why they call me that?"

"Not interested."

"Too bad. Because you're about to find out, Renji Abarai." Zalya took his stance. "I'd be careful if I were you, baby."

Down several blocks, Yaku was busy try to avoid combat as much as possible while still doing his job in taking down as many Soul Reapers as he could. "There's no end to them. How depressing."

"Then might I suggest you stop and surrender?"

Yaku looked up at the Soul Reaper perched on the roof of the building behind him. Yaku took two steps back, making sure he wasn't directly under the white-haired Captain. "You're pretty small. Seriously? They made someone as young as you a Captain?"

Hitsugaya's face didn't show any sign of having taken offense. "Do you want to see how I became a Captain despite my age?"

"No doubt you're skilled. That's the only reason I can see them making you a Captain. Either that, or their standards are really lacking."

Hitsugaya's blade was drawn. "Let's test it, shall we? Then you can tell me yourself which it is."

Yaku grasped his mirror tightly. "I suppose it's unavoidable. Isn't that depressing... But I might as well have some fun with it."

In the chaos, Ichigo and Rukia managed to locate another Quincy passing from behind one building to another. This Quincy was rather large and didn't wear a cape. Rukia ran alongside Ichigo until they caught sight of him again and ordered him to stop.

The Quincy turned around once to look at them. "Isn't it strange how people order you to stop when you're trying to get away? I've always thought that was a bit stupid."

"Are you saying you're running away?" Rukia asked, keeping her tone authoritative and firm.

"No." The Quincy started smirking. "I just thought it was odd for you to order me to do something when you know full well that it is something I have no intention of doing."

"Why are you here?" Rukia asked, pointing her sword at him. "Who are you?"

"I am Mordere. And I am looking for someone." He flexed his arms, as if to intimidate her. "I have more than enough power to crush anyone who gets in my way. You're such a tiny girl so I'll be nice and let you off with a warning."

"That's considerate of you but unnecessary." Rukia's sword was ready for battle. "If you've come here looking for a fight, there's no way I'm going to let you go."

Mordere shook his head as if Rukia had just told a bad joke. "Ah... Seems a waste to use my skills on a girl. I warned you."

Ichigo held his sword tightly, ready to back her up. He looked the Quincy up and down, sizing him up. Mordere was on the large side. His muscles and size made him appear strong but there was only one way to tell for certain if they were anything but mere show. He wore a jacket with many pockets, leaving Ichigo to wonder what he could have been carrying on him and possibly use in battle. He wore jeans and a chain on his belt and had steel-toed boots on his feet. His hands were gloved with only the fingers exposed. Mordere looked ready for battle. To Ichigo, he looked like a street punk or a member of a gang whose only true power came from their ability to look tough but couldn't back it up. Even that half shaved head of his and the other half sporting a limp Mohawk made Ichigo want to roll his eyes. To him, this Quincy was trying to intimidate them with looks alone. He wanted to expose Mordere for the weak coward that he was.

"Some no mai..." Rukai went first. "Tsukishiro!"

A circle of ice appeared under Mordere's feet and he quickly jumped aside. The first attack was a failure. She tried a second time, aiming for where he was going to land. Mordere was big but he moved quickly. He dodged a second time and pointed his fist at her, knuckles first. His hand began to glow and shot off several beams of light Ichigo quickly recognized as arrows. Rukia dodged and returned with another attack. Mordere aimed his fist at her again and released even more arrows. Ichigo had never seen a Quincy use an attack like this before.

While keeping his left fist pointed at Rukia, Mordere aimed his right at Ichigo and fired an attack at him at the same time. "You like it?" he asked. "I picked this trick up a while ago. I didn't know I was a Quincy when I was a child and thought I was the only one in the world with this power. I wanted to test my limits and see what I could do with it. I experimented. When I met some other Quincies like myself, they taught me and I perfected this technique. I figured out how to bend what would be my bow around my hand so I could fire as if it were a crossbow. I learned how to do it to both hands so I could fire in two different directions. But unlike a normal crossbow, I can fire as many arrows as I please. I'm no pushover, kiddies. I'm the real deal!"

Ichigo wasn't intimidated at all. He was actually pleased. It looked like this was going to be a real fight after all. This Quincy wasn't all talk.

As Rukia moved in for another attack, Ichigo went on the offensive and unleashed his own attack. He knew how much stronger he had become. He wasn't going to use Getsuga Tensho yet; not among all these closely packed buildings. He was just going to swing. Mordere was a Quincy so he didn't carry a sword. He wouldn't be able to block. Ichigo leapt out of his hiding spot and swung in a downward motion, trying to slash Mordere's arm.

Just before his sword could make contact, something zipped by and slammed into Ichigo's blade, knocking it aside and sparing Mordere's wrist.

Ichigo jumped back before Mordere could attack him and looked around for what had hit his sword. He couldn't see anyone.

"Tsugi no mai, Hakuren!" Rukia's next attack just missed Mordere by a hair. He rolled out of the way and aimed both fists at her, shooting off as many arrows as he could.

It was a perfect opportunity. His back was turned and he had Rukia running. Ichigo moved in to attack again. Something flashed and Ichigo stopped just short. An arrow was stuck in the ground an inch from his right foot. Judging from the trajectory, it must have come from the roof to his left. Ichigo turned his head, looking at the building. Everything was quiet and still, but he knew better. There was someone else here, shooting at them.

He had to find them. Without telling Rukia what he was doing, Ichigo left her to battle Mordere alone while he went off in search of the shooter. He landed on the roof but there was no one around. Something moved out of the corner of his eye and ducked behind another building. He wasn't alone. Ichigo pursued them.

Meanwhile, Rukia was left to fight Mordere alone. Ichigo had disappeared. Every attack she tried failed. She tried freezing the ground, he jumped. She aimed at his body, he moved. He kept firing arrows at her and she was forced to flee and duck in cover. Mordere moved in, closing in on her.

"Come on out, little girl. I'm just getting started. Is this all you've got? You Soul Reapers are a joke. I can't believe you're the ones we have to wipe out. You're so weak!"

Rukia spoke to him, but remained hidden. "Wipe out? What do you mean by that?"

"It's what we want. What our leader wants. He wants all of you dead so that we can take over. We'll rule this world and the World of the Living properly. The torch has passed to us so you might as well give up. I mean, you can't even take on the five of us. I almost feel sorry for you."

"You said you thought you were the only one in the world with this power. Does that mean that you think you're better than everyone else?"

Mordere scoffed. "Kind of hard to argue, isn't it? I always knew I was special. Not my foster parents, though. When I first started using my Quincy abilities, they were scared. They sent me away to be cured, as if I were sick or something. I'm grateful I was found by my own kind. They showed me the way. They raised me without fear. They encouraged me. They are my people. Why the hell wouldn't I be proud of a race that's superior to all others? I show humans for the weaklings they are. I'm better than them. Better than my foster parents who knew nothing of Quincies and thought I was a threat. They were scared of me. I'm sure if my real parents were alive, they would have encouraged me just like the others did. But not my fearful, weakling foster parents. In fact, when I..."

Something was wrong. His legs were freezing. Mordere looked down and saw his legs slowly being encased in ice. He stopped shooting and tried to pull himself free. The ice was creeping up his legs. It was already past his knees and climbing.

While he was busy running his mouth, Rukia had used her Zanpakuto to freeze him in place. She just had to keep him distracted until the ice managed to find his body from her hiding spot. Now that he was trapped, Rukia came out of her hiding place and stood beside him with her sword to his neck.

"I wouldn't move if I were you," she warned.

Mordere looked annoyed more than afraid.

"And don't bother raising your hands. The second you do so, I'll cut them off. I know what you're planning."

He would shoot more arrows at her. She knew he would.

Mordere stood quietly, keeping his arms at his sides. The ice was traveling up his legs to his waist now. His body was freezing. He was starting to shiver.

Keeping his arms at his sides, he made two fists and fired straight down into the ice.

Rukia jumped back. Ice flew in every direction like popping popcorn and mist clouded her vision. She felt his boot in her back and was sent into what remained of the ice trap. When she tried to get up, he stepped on her arm, holding her Zanpakuto down. He was so heavy! Rukia couldn't move an inch.

Mordere bent down and touched his knuckles to the back of her head. "Nice try, girl, but it's not happening today."

Rukia squeezed her eyes shut. She couldn't move. She couldn't even use Kido. She would be dead before she could try.

"I tried to be a gentleman but you had to- Ugh!"

Mordere wasn't standing on her arm anymore. She got up and spun around to confront him. Mordere was on the ground clutching his shoulder.

Rukia turned and smiled a silent 'thanks' to the man standing beside her. Cedric had come to her rescue.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah. Thanks for the help. I don't know where Ichigo went."

"I saw him over there. I think he's tracking someone down. He was sneaking around." Cedric glanced her way. "Should I help him?"

Rukia looked from him to Mordere. "I actually might need some help with this one."

"Consider it done." Cedric moved in.

Mordere looked Cedric up and down. He quickly got to his feet and fired off a barrage of arrows from both hands. Cedric knocked them aside as if they were made of foam. Realizing he was outmatched, Mordere stopped firing and opened his mouth to speak. Cedric grabbed him by the jaw and started squeezing, lifting Mordere off the ground.

"Hang on!" Rukia called out. "Just a minute, Cedric. We need him alive. He seems to have some information we could use." Not only that, but he was a bit of a blabbermouth. Rukia knew if they took him in as a captive, he would talk, whether or not he meant to.

Cedric stopped squeezing but continued to hold Mordere off the ground by his jaw.

"You bruised the bone..." Mordere whimpered.

"Like you weren't asking for it."

Rukia had to ask him something. "Cedric, you're taking my orders into account. I thought you only listened to Linnette. I didn't think you would be so compliant."

"I didn't take your words as orders, but merely something that had to be done." Cedric watched Mordere struggle against his mighty grip, failing to free himself. "Linnette said she wanted to assist in this fight. I'm only doing as she wishes. She said that she doesn't want Ichigo or any of her Soul Reapers friends to get killed. You are one of her friends. At least, she considers you to be."

Cedric would fight for them. All for Linnette's sake. Because she liked these Soul Reapers, she didn't want any of them to die. Cedric was merely carrying out her wishes.

"Of course..." Cedric went on as if he could read her mind. "I have no issue with you and think you make a good friend for Linnette. I wouldn't want you to die either."

So it wasn't just what Linnette wished. He considered her a friend and ally, too. At least, that's how it appeared to Rukia.

Further away, Renji was having a difficult time battling Zalya. His Zanpakuto cut into buildings and tore up the ground but missed Zalya every time. He was too quick. Zalya fired a barrage of arrows his direction and Renji managed to dodge all of them. By this time, the Soul Reapers hiding in buildings managed to clear out so they were no longer in danger. Renji could attack freely without putting anyone's life at risk.

"Yah!" Renji flung his Zanpakuto at the Quincy. He flicked it left and right and its long flexible body coiled like a twisting snake. Finally, it made contact with Zalya's body. His left leg was bleeding.

Oddly enough, this didn't seem to bother Zalya in the slightest. He actually seemed pleased. Didn't he feel pain? Something wasn't right.

"I have to admit, I've never seen that reaction from an injured person before. You seem almost happy I cut you."

"I sort of am, to tell you the truth."

Renji lowered his sword but not his guard. "Why? You get off on pain or something?"

"No." Zalya smiled. "You've just given me a chance to show off another ability of mine. That's all. You're going to regret cutting me."

Zalya held his hand over the wound and Renji's eyes widened in shock. The blood from the wound lifted into the air and coiled around his hand. The blood flowed in a continuous motion, forming a circle in the air. With a flick of his wrist, Zalya sent the blood flying like a discus and into Renji's cheek.

"Ow!" Renji clasped a hand to his wound. He could feel the warm blood flowing down his face. Then, just as suddenly, the blood left his face and his hand, flowing through the air like a red serpent over to Zalya. He held the blood in his hand as if it were a ball.

"You like?"

Renji wasn't sure what he was seeing.

"Not impressed? Then how about this?" Zalya cut his own hand and drew blood from the wound. The ball in his palm grew bigger with every drop of blood. He then threw the blood on the ground where it splattered. With another flick of his wrist, the blood rose from the ground and returned to his hand. "You see? This is my ability. This is why they call me the Blood Wielder. I can control blood. Any blood that comes into contact with air is fair game for me. Even yours."

He threw the blood at Renji who blocked with his sword. The blood separated in the air and moved around his Zanpakuto and sliced into his face and arms, drawing more blood. The new blood danced in the air and sliced Renji from behind. Blood splattered the ground, only to rise and return to Zalya. The blood he now held in his hand was the size of a basket ball. It coiled and twisted and flowed from one hand to the other, wrapping around his back like a crimson scarf.

"Do you get it now? The more blood that is shed in battle, the stronger I become. I use blood as a weapon. I'd think twice before attacking me again. If either one of us gets injured, I can use that blood to attack you."

This wasn't good. Renji had to be careful. Every cut, no matter how minor it was, could be used against him. Zalya meant to attack him with his own blood. Not just his, but any blood. Even Zalya's. This made battle even more difficult. If he cut Zalya, the could then used that blood against him. How was he supposed to attack if he couldn't inflict a wound on his enemy? To make matters worse, Zalya didn't seem to mind cutting himself in order to inflict injury on Renji.

"I call it Rising Corpses," Zalya told him. "It's the same move I used to get us in here. I used the bodies of your dead Soul Reaper friends to help sneak us in. They were very useful in death, I have to say."

That's how they got in. No one noticed that they were dead and let them inside. The Quincy must have done all the talking for them so no one would notice a thing. How awful. It was sickening.

"Well, come on, baby!" Zalya thinned the blood into a long whip and cracked the air with it, taunting Renji. "Are we going to fight or not? You can't keep all that blood in you forever, baby. Share it with me!"

Renji shivered. Not from fear but from the battle happening in the next street. Hitsugaya was busy battling Yaku, who, for someone stating his unwillingness to fight, was doing an excellent job of keeping Hitsugaya on his toes.

Hitsugaya threw pillar after pillar of ice in his direction but he dodged every single one. Clinging to his precious mirror, Yaku moved quickly, keeping out of range of Hitsugaya's attacks. Since he wasn't getting caught in the ice, Hitsugaya decided to try something a little different. He would bring the fight closer to his opponent. Zipping around a fallen barrel, the Captain swung at Yaku's neck. He ducked rather than pull backwards. Hitsugaya couldn't understand the reason for that move. It took more energy and time to duck, plus ducking down like that caused him to lose sight of Hitsugaya. He couldn't understand. Nevertheless, he swung again and Yaku moved away.

"Why aren't you fighting back?" he asked Yaku. "You're just ducking everything I throw at you."

"It's not like I have a sword, you know."

"Yes, I suppose a Quincy wouldn't." Hitsugaya jumped back and swung his sword, trying to force Yaku to step backwards and give him more room. He wasn't trying to make contact this time, but Yaku blocked anyway. The tip of his sword passed through the air in front of Yaku's body, cutting the air and nothing else.

Something wasn't right. Why would he try to block such an attack? He was too far away to make contact.

To test it, Hitsugaya purposely swung his sword, standing six feet away from Yaku. Yaku hid behind his mirror, blocking the attack that would never reach him.

Yaku blocked everything. Even attacks that weren't going to hit him.

He wasn't going to waste anymore time with these non-contact attacks. He was going to hit him this time. Hitsugaya moved forward and swung at Yaku again and again, trying to cut him. Again, Yaku either ducked or blocked. He never once tried to move backwards to avoid it.

Yaku tried to kick Hitsugaya. He swung his leg outward but missed him. He took several steps back and held up his mirror, attempting to use it as a shield.

"Are you even trying to hit me?" Hitsugaya finally asked.

"Of course I am," said Yaku. "I just have poor depth perception. That's all."

Hitsugaya's shoulders slumped. "What? You can't see well? Is that what you're telling me?"

"I can see just fine. I just have trouble with depth perception, that's all I'm saying."

No wonder he was ducking and blocking everything. Yaku couldn't accurately judge the distance of any of Hitsugaya's attacks so he didn't know how far away he was or how far he should be.

"Even if that is the case, why aren't you attacking me? I know you said fighting wasn't your thing, but surely you can make an attempt. Draw your weapon or something."

Yaku held up his mirror. "This is my weapon. In fact, this mirror is my only weapon. I can't even shoot an arrow. I don't know how. As a matter of fact, I suspect my comrades don't trust me to use them with my lack of depth perception."

"So that mirror is all you have to fight with." Hitsugaya was thankful for the information but it still left him with an uneasy feeling. Why would Yaku admit that he was practically powerless to an enemy? That mirror wouldn't protect him from his attacks. He was just hiding behind it as far as Hitsugaya could tell.

Yaku stood in the center to the battlefield, waiting for Hitsugaya to make a move. Hitsugaya still had an uneasy feeling. Something was telling him not to attack because that was what Yaku wanted. Still, he couldn't just stand here and stare at him. He had to do something.

Taking a chance, he swung his sword, unleashing a stream of ice towards Yaku. Yaku saw the ice coming and held up his mirror to block it. It was a poor move on his part. The ice would freeze the mirror, encasing it in ice along with his hands. Surely Yaku knew this would happen yet still he chose to block. Hitsugaya watched closely, wondering what was going to happen next.

The ice went straight for the mirror as intended. The ice made direct contact with the mirror's surface and was absorbed. The ice was sucked inside the mirror.

That mirror was no ordinary mirror. It was a weapon after all. It could absorb attacks.

Yaku looked up at Hitsugaya. "Want to try that again?"

Hitsugaya was smart enough not to attempt the same thing twice and expect different results. As long as his attack wasn't absorbed by the mirror, it should be fine. Hitsugaya figured that as long as he didn't try to make direct contact with Yaku, the mirror could not be used to block the attack and then absorb it.

All he had to do was trap his opponent. Hitsugaya aimed carefully at the ground, testing his theory. He wasn't going to waste a more powerful attack just in case this didn't work.

The ground around Yaku's feet began to freeze and a dome of ice began to encroach around him. Yaku remained where he was, seeing no escape. It seemed Hitsugaya's theory was correct. As long as he didn't aim any projectile attacks at Yaku's body, he couldn't use the mirror to absorb it.

The ice had almost completely enclosed around Yaku. Just before he was sealed inside, Hitsugaya saw his smile. Suddenly, the ice started to retreat... inside the mirror. Yaku was exposed to the open air once more, the ice completely gone.

"You don't seem to understand the power of my mirror," he said calmly. "It's not what you throw at me so much as it is what it catches in its surface."

Hitsugaya understood what he meant. "In other words, whatever that mirror catches the reflection of, you can absorb." It wasn't a question of aim or contact. It was about what the mirror could see. Even if the attack wasn't aimed directly at Yaku, he could still absorb it.

"Yes, that's true. But there's more," said Yaku, turning the mirror slightly to one side. "Since you were so willing to show me your attacks, I'm willing to do the kind thing and return them to you. Reflect."

The mirror began to glow and an instant later, Hitsugaya found himself on the ground, surrounded by his own ice. It all happened so quickly he barely had time to realize what was happening.

"Not only can my mirror absorb your attacks, but it can also send them right back at you. A mirror image, wouldn't you say?"

The ice surrounding Hitsugaya were the remnants of his ice dome. He had tried to dodge and block at the same time, seeing the attack coming right for him. As a result, the ice broke apart before it could encase him.

"Let's see how you like a taste of your own medicine. I bet it's cold." Yaku unleashed Hitsugaya's first attack, sending a stream of ice his direction.

He couldn't block in time. He had to run for it. He ducked behind a building and peered out only when he was certain it was safe. Yaku was there waiting for him. He had to attack, but if he could absorb his Zanpakuto's attacks, he could reflect it right back at him. He had to try something else. Maybe Kido would work. "Hado 31, Shakkaho!"

Yaku jumped aside as the red ball blasted a hole in the wall behind him. He didn't absorb it. It must have only worked on Zanpakuto abilities.

Hitsugaya started to rapid-fire kido at Yaku, Shakkaho after Shakkaho. Yaku held his mirror straight out in front of him and absorbed the attacks. Hitsugaya quickly stopped, realizing that it was a terrible mistake. He could absorb Kido after all. Him jumping aside before must have been him either taken by surprise or trying to lure Hitsugaya out and make him use more attacks.

Now Hitsugaya was running from Kido attacks. Yaku pointed his mirror directly at Hitsugaya and unleashed every attack he had stolen. Bits of gravel and stone pelted the back of Hitsugaya's legs as he ran from the attacks. He jumped behind a building and hid. He had to rethink his approach once again.

What could he do? Any attack he used would be absorbed and sent right back at him. Kido, as well. Maybe an attack from up close could do the trick. He wouldn't be able to absorb a physical attack, could he? It was worth a shot.

"Come out, Captain. I'm getting bored."

Hitsugaya stepped out from his hiding place and confronted Yaku. He held his mirror at the ready, waiting for him to make another move.

He was waiting for him. Hitsugaya frowned. This wasn't right. He remained where he was and waited for Yaku this time. When he didn't make a move, Hitsugaya ran in a complete circle around him, trying to provoke him. Yaku turned his body, making sure Hitsugaya was never out of sight. He still wasn't attacking.

"I've got it."

"Got what?" Yaku asked him.

Hitsugaya stopped running. "You can only reflect the attacks you've absorbed. No more, no less. In other words, you can't send back an attack exceeding the number of times you've absorbed it into that mirror."

Yaku smiled. "You're right. That is true. If I've only taken in five attacks, then I can only send back five."

That was why Yaku was waiting for him to make a move. He had used up all the attacks he had absorbed and was waiting for Hitsugaya to replenish his stock. He couldn't attack him yet. Not until Hitsugaya attacked first.

"Thank you for telling me. Now I know not to attack you. Not in the way I have been, at least."

Yaku started to smile again. "You think that I can't attack you unless you attack me first? Well, you're right. But only if I use that ability. My mirror can do a lot more than simply absorb attacks. For instance, my mirror has already caught your reflection. What do you suppose that means?"

Hitsugaya was dreading the answer.

"Now this... is a Mirror Image." Yaku turned his mirror sideways. The smooth surface bubbled and gleamed. Something began to rise from the surface. A head. Then an arm. A whole torso. It was a glass version of Hitsugaya, joined at the waist to the mirror in Yaku's hands. "You like? I personally don't like to fight, but I certainly don't mind letting you fight yourself."

Hitsugaya had to fight his own reflection. It truly was a reflection of himself. Everything was reversed. The way his hair parted right down to the sword held in his left hand. It was a perfect reflection.

"Go on," urged Yaku.

The reflection held up its sword and swung at the original. Hitsugaya blocked. They were perfectly matched. It swung again and again. Hitsugaya was just able to keep up. He didn't want to use any attacks from his Zanpakuto, fearing they would be used against him again. He was uncertain if Yaku could absorb his attacks while using this method but he didn't want to take the risk.

While fighting his reflection, Hitsugaya noticed something about this ability. Yaku never took his hands off the mirror. Then again, why would he if it was his only weapon? That wasn't the odd part. He had to keep the mirror pointed at Hitsugaya the entire time. He also had to move with the mirror. The reflection never stepped out of the mirror. It was joined at the waist to the mirror's surface. This gave Hitsugaya an idea.

He stepped to the side to avoid his reflection's swing and tried to stab Yaku instead. Yaku quickly turned the mirror so the reflection could block. The reflection couldn't turn itself. It had to rely on Yaku to turn it. Yaku was vulnerable. He had to stay close to the action in order to use this attack since the reflection couldn't do it on its own. It was constantly attached to the mirror and could not leave it. This put Yaku close to the action. Understanding this, Hitsugaya no longer attacked his reflection but instead moved to the right constantly to attack Yaku directly.

"Fight your reflection, damn it!" Yaku yelled, turning the mirror to keep up with Hitsugaya's movements.

"You can't attack me, can you?" Hitsugaya swung, clipping the cuff of Yaku's wide sleeves. "You have to hide behind that mirror and let the image do the fighting for you. Isn't that right? It can't leave the mirror which makes you an easy target."

Yaku swung the mirror to block and jumped backwards to avoid another attack. The reflection dissolved back into the mirror's surface and became smooth once again. "Yeah, you're right."

He knew it. "Plus, it seems the reflection can't use any of my Zanpakuto attacks. Is that also correct?"

"Yeah, that's right."

"Seems like a dangerous ability, don't you think?"

"I never expected a kid to figure it out so quickly. Here I thought you'd be stupid. But I suppose you being a Captain at such a young age must mean you had something going for you. That or you cheated."

"No, I'm just that good." Hitsugaya pointed his blade at Yaku's chest. "This battle will go on forever if we keep going the way we are. I won't use any Kido or any of my Zanpakuto attacks, so there will be nothing for you to absorb. I'll keep out of range of that last attack you used or I'll just keep trying to get around it and get to you instead. It would seem we've reached a stalemate."

"When you put it that way, I guess so."

"Since you're unwilling to fight and said you don't like to, it would seem that your best option is to surrender."

Yaku nodded. "That would certainly appear to be the best thing to do. But I won't." Yaku looked down at his beloved mirror. "Though I find it utterly depressing and a complete waste, I cannot surrender. I came here with my group and I'm going to leave with my group. If I were to give up so easily, how would it look to the rest of them? I'm not surrendering to a child. That would make it look even worse. I'd never hear the end of it. Now that's depressing."

"Then what will you do?"

Yaku's eyes darted to the street behind Hitsugaya. "While you may be aware of my powers, are they?"

Reinforcements. Have they come already? Things had quieted down so they must have thought the battle was over and came to assist. Hitsugaya turned his head slightly to warn them but there was no one there. "Damn." By the time Hitsugaya turned back, Yaku had grabbed his arm and was bending it backwards. "Ahh!"

Yaku forced Hitsugaya to kneel. "This is better. Shouldn't children listen to their elders? I'm bigger than you. In terms of age and body. I believe that gives me every right to-"

Hitsugaya snapped his head back, bashing his head into Yaku's stomach. He didn't try to pull his arm free. Instead, he bent his body to line up with his arm and flipped backwards over Yaku's back. Then he pulled his arm free and slashed Yaku across the back with his sword.

"Ahh!"

"I am not a child!" Hitsugaya snapped and slashed him again, drawing blood from his right leg.

"Ow!" Yaku was on the ground, holding his wound, pressing his mirror to his chest with the other hand.

"Captain Hitsugaya!" Now reinforcements had come. "Do you need any assistance?"

"No, stay back!"

"Captain, Renji Abarai seems to be having trouble is his fight with the other Quincy. Should we assist him or subdue this one?"

Renji was having difficulty? Who was he fighting? This Quincy was weak. His mirror was the only thing that posed a problem. As long as he warned the others, he saw no reason why he couldn't leave to help Renji.

Yaku flipped the mirror around and pointed it at the Soul Reapers gathered at the opening for the street. "Negative Image."

"What?" Hitsugaya wasn't in the mirror's path. They were. In an instant, they had all fallen to the ground and were motionless. None of them had used any attacks and they weren't close enough to have been struck down by their own reflections. "What did you do?"

Yaku was smiling. "I haven't told you everything my mirror can do. Where's the fun in that?" He started to chuckle. "Since when did you think you had to attack me in order for me to attack you?"

Was he lying about his ability the whole time? Hitsugaya thought he had Yaku figured out.

Yaku started to turn the mirror toward Hitsugaya.

Thinking fast, Hitsugaya conjured up a wall of ice to block the mirror. Now that Yaku was hidden behind the wall of ice, he quickly ran to the fallen Soul Reapers.

"Are you alright?"

They weren't cut. Not a single one was injured. They were all awake and aware. They were just on the ground, unable to move. Was this some sort of paralysis?

"Get up. You have to move away from here," Hitsugaya warned them.

"What's the point?" asked one of the men in a dreary tone.

"Huh?"

"Why bother? We're dead anyway."

Another Soul Reaper moaned into the ground with a sad look on his face. "Just leave me alone."

"What's wrong with you?" Hitsugaya gave them a shake. "Get up!"

"I don't deserve your pity, Captain."

"What he said."

"Just leave us alone."

"Leave it up to fate. If I'm to die, then so be it. Why fight it? It's fate."

"We're going to die anyway so why struggle to live for who knows how much longer? It may be a week, it may be an hour."

"Who cares?"

"Leave me alone."

Hitsugaya couldn't reason with them. "What's gotten into you? Why are you like this?" It was as if they didn't care about what happened to them. More than that, actually. It was as if they were all depressed.

"Don't they sound pathetic? Isn't it depressing?"

Hitsugaya slowly turned. Yaku was standing right behind him, the ice wall gone. He gripped his sword tightly, ready to defend himself.

"That's another one of my mirror's abilities. It can drain a person of their Spirit Energy. But that takes a while to do and frankly I don't like doing it because it takes a while. So I use its other ability."

"Which is..?"

"It can absorb a person's positive energy, draining it from their bodies until there nothing left but negative feelings and depression, rendering them helpless and unwilling to do anything anymore. They won't even defend themselves if I put a knife to their throats. They won't fight for their lives. They'll just lie there and let it happen, motionless and defenseless."

What a horrific power. It didn't sound so terrible on the surface, but once the realization set in about what damage it could cause, it truly was terrifying. To render someone so helpless that they would not even defend themselves if their life depended on it was a frightening ability. If Yaku used that power on him, he would be defenseless. Under no circumstances could he allow that power to reach him. If he did, it was all over.

"See for yourself its terrifying power. Negative-"

Hitsugaya blocked with another wall of ice. He couldn't get caught in that mirror's reflection. He ran before Yaku could move around the ice. He pointed the mirror at him and Hitsugaya blocked again. If only he had a shield he could use to protect himself. Or find some way to hide the mirror so it couldn't find him. But if he attacked the mirror directly, it would absorb his power and send it back to him. If only there was a way for him to attack the mirror from behind and encase it in ice. In order to do that, he had to get behind Yaku. However, Yaku kept his body turned so he was always facing Hitsugaya. He knew better than to keep his back open. This was going to be difficult.

"Reflect!"

Hitsugaya's body came to a sudden stop. His leg was frozen to the ground. Of course, he had been using ice this whole time to block the mirror. Yaku had absorbed several attacks and could now send them right back at him. Hitsugaya wrapped himself in ice while he struggled to free himself. If he left himself exposed, the mirror would find him before he could escape. It was all over if that happened.

He hacked away at the ice enclosed around his ankle with the hilt of his sword until enough ice crumbled away to free him. He created an opening in the ice and dashed into a building.

"Are you sure you want to do that?" asked Yaku from outside. "If you hide or run away, there's nothing stopping me from killing your friends out here."

Those Soul Reapers were still laying on the ground out in the open. He couldn't abandon them.

"Come on out."

He was baiting him. It was a trap. He knew it was.

Maybe he could trap him with a trick of his own.

Yaku stood outside the building he knew Hitsugaya was hiding in. He inched closer and closer to the Soul Reapers, tempting fate. He was trying to lure Hitsugaya out of the building, thinking his comrades were in danger. Then he would attack.

The air had grown even colder. Yaku could see every puff of breath leave his mouth. It was freezing. The Captain must have been close by, preparing an attack. It was getting colder and colder. He felt as if his feet were freezing to the ground. When he looked down he realized they were. It was a trick. The Captain meant to freeze the ground and trap him that way. Yaku angled the mirror down to try to absorb it. It was unclear whether or not this was an actual attack so he may have been unable to do so.

"Hah!"

Yaku's arm was slashed. Unable to move his feet, he fell backwards onto the sheet of ice and snow. The blood spilling from the wound onto the snow, looking like strawberry syrup on shaved ice.

That was the trick all along. Hitsugaya wanted Yaku to turn the mirror away and spring out when he did. He was waiting for Yaku to angle the mirror downward so he could attack him from above.

Hitsugaya kicked the mirror out of Yaku's hands and stood above him, sword pointed at his neck. "You should have given up when I told you to."

Yaku held his wound tightly, trying to stop the bleeding. He looked to his mirror, kicked aside and slightly on its side from the pile of snow underneath. Yaku looked back at Hitsugaya. "Commendable, Captain. It would seem that you've won."

Hitsugaya, not wanting to take any chances, started to freeze Yaku's hands in icy handcuffs. With Yaku's feet frozen to the ground and his hands bound in ice and with his mirror cast aside, he was helpless.

"I said 'seem', Captain." Yaku smiled at him. "Reflect."

Ice burned Hitsugaya's arm and leg, freezing him to the spot. Yaku didn't need the mirror in his hands in order to use its power. The mirror was angled just enough to find Hitsugaya's body and unleashed its stolen attacks. Now he was trapped in a wall of ice, the very same ice wall he had used to block the mirror before.

Yaku started to bang his hands against the ground to free himself. Hitsugaya punched the ice surrounding in arm, attempting to free his arm and the sword frozen to it. The ice barely cracked. In the meantime, Yaku was almost free. He struck the ice against the ground, slowly chipping away his restraints.

"Hado 31, Shakkaho!" Hitsugaya blasted away the ice and stumbled away. His arm and leg were bleeding and burned. Using Kido at such a close range had caused him some damage but at least he was free.

Yaku had freed himself at the same time and reached for his mirror. Hitsugaya tried to freeze him where he was but the mirror absorbed his attack before it could reach Yaku. "Reflect!"

Hitsugaya turned to run but the ice grabbed his leg in a frozen grip and wouldn't let go. His body was still in motion, turning away from the ice while it held onto his leg. This caused the bones to crack and break. He fell onto his other leg and winced from the pain.

Yaku grabbed his mirror and angled it down to Hitsugaya. "Reflect."

The Captain was frozen in his own ice wall. He looked like a science exhibit on some laboratory shelf.

Yaku let out a satisfied sigh and smiled at his work. "Fighting isn't so bad when you win. I could do without the pain, though." He looked down at his bleeding arm and leg. "I don't see why Zalya enjoys it so much. It's painful. How depressing."

Yaku turned and started to walk away. He could hear the sounds of battle all around him. He could clearly hear Zalya's battle from the next street. It sounded like Zalya was enjoying himself. Yaku could hear him gloating from where he stood amongst the tall buildings.

Crack. Crack.

Yaku turned around. The ice behind him was starting to crack and crumble. He turned away as the ice shattered in a violent blast and Hitsugaya sent shards of ice soaring in every direction.

"You're harder to keep down that I thought," said Yaku.

With his leg at an awkward angel and obviously broken in three places, Hitsugaya managed to stand and point his sword at Yaku's body. He wasn't giving up.

Meanwhile in the next street, Renji was running for his life. The blood Zalya wielded had grown exponentially in the past few minutes. Any Soul Reaper that showed up to assist him was instantly cut down and their blood was drawn immediately to Zalya's hand. He rode the blood like a surfboard in the air, chasing Renji up and down the street. Renji had to avoid getting cut above anything else. Anymore blood Zalya collected would only make him stronger.

Zalya used the blood like daggers and sent them after Renji's fleeing body. The blood returned to Zalya and he molded them into large sickles which he then used to slice through buildings. Renji dodged them left and right, stumbling over the corpses of his dead Soul Reaper comrades. Renji was thankful the number of casualties wasn't higher but this was too much to stomach. He had to stop Zalya.

"Rising Corpses!"

The bodies around Renji started to twitch. They rose from the ground like puppets on strings and stood. They were dead, every single one of them. They picked up their swords and came after Renji.

"How does it feel having your backup try to cut you down?" asked Zalya. "You see the irony, baby?"

Renji blocked their blades and tried to make a run for it. He couldn't get cut. He didn't want to fight his dead allies. What was he supposed to do? How could he win?

"This is the same technique I used to sneak us in here, baby. I used their bodies just like this. Useful, no? I think so, baby. Yeah, I'm awesome!"

"I'm gonna smack that ugly smirk of your right off your sorry face!" Renji snapped. He pushed the swords away from his body, but more came at him from a different angle. One sword entered his back, drawing blood. "Damn it, no!"

"Ha-ha!" Zalya gladly took the blood and added it to his collection. "Thanks, baby. I have tons of blood I can use now."

Renji pushed the bodies away and tried to get somewhere safe. He had to distance himself from Zalya and anything sharp. "How the hell am I supposed to stop him if I can't cut him? Damn it, he's even willing to cut himself." Maybe if he strangled him it would work. It wasn't really his style but he couldn't use his sword. He had to try something else.

"Quit running, baby! I'm just getting started!"

Renji ducked as pieces of building began to rain down overhead. Zalya turned the blood into bullets and used them to shoot into the wall. As quickly as it happened, it stopped. Zalya had moved somewhere else, his eyes on something other than Renji.

"Need a hand here, Renji?" Shinji had appeared to assist him.

"Captain Hirako. Be careful. Don't cut this guy and don't let him cut you. He uses blood as a weapon."

Shinji went to stand beside Renji. "Thanks for the heads up."

Zalya didn't seem at all worried about making this battle two-on-one. He seemed to welcome the idea. "How will you defeat me if you can't cut me down? How will you manage not to get cut? Not a single scratch." Zalya was laughing at them. "There's no way you can win. It's impossible against me, baby."

"Not really. There are other ways to attack a target," said Shinji. "Bakudo 61 Rikujokoro!"

Before Zalya could react, he found himself pinned between five thin boards of light. He couldn't move his arms or anything else. He was trapped.

"See? Now you're caught." Shinji turned to Renji. "I don't understand why you didn't do that in the first place."

"My Kido isn't very good."

"Ah." Shinji turned back to Zalya. "As long as you're just standing there I have a few things I want to ask you."

Zalya was very compliant. "Sure. What do you want to know, baby?"

"First, it's about your powers. I understand that you can control blood, correct? I saw you moving those corpses just a minute ago and saw you shooting blood at my friend here. But I also noticed that even though you can do that, you cannot control our bodies. Otherwise you would have done it. So is it safe to assume that you can only use that power on a dead body?"

Zalya chuckled. "Totally. I can only use that power on a dead person. As long as blood is flowing in a living body, I can't control it. The blood has to be either still or exposed to the air. That's fair game for me. So you're right. I can't control your bodies. Not until you croak."

"I see. So I was right." Shinji seemed pleased with himself. "Next question. Why are you here? What are you planning?"

"That's two questions, but whatever." Zalya was all too happy to tell. "My cousin brought us here to find someone."

"Why all the killing?" asked Renji.

"Because he doesn't like Soul Reapers and frankly not too many of us do. If we kill a few people along the way, who cares? We heard he was here so we sneaked inside and were going to flush him out." Zalya raised his brows since he couldn't shrug his shoulders. "The way we see it, you Soul Reapers are doing a poor job running the world. We could do better. So if we end up killing a bunch of you, so what? Makes taking over a lot easier."

"So you're trying to kill us?" Renji was ready to cut his head off right there.

Shinji's next question stopped him before he could. "Who are you looking for?"

"Some kid called Ichigo Kurosaki."

Shinji and Renji grew tense.

"So you know him?"

Shinji didn't answer the question. Instead he asked, "What do you want with him?"

"Not me. My cousin. He's the one running the show. But since this is a group effort, he's let me and a few others off the chain and told us to have some fun."

This didn't sit well with either one. Shinji turned to speak with Renji. "We have one captured. I say we lock him in a cell and turn him over to the Head Captain. He'll take it from there."

"Who said I was captured?"

Blood wrapped around Shinji's legs and suspended him from the air. Shinji dangled upside-down, pushing his Capatin's jacket out of his face so he could see what was happening. Zalya was still bound. The blood was still moving, without Zalya having to do a thing.

"I don't have to move to control the blood. It just makes it easier. But since I practice so much, controlling it is a breeze. I don't need to even try." The blood separated and half went to Zalya's side. Turning into sharp projectiles, they blasted the Kido restaints and freed Zalya. The other half held Shinji in the air. "Now what to do with you. Oh, I know."

Shinji was thrown into the air and slammed into the ground. His body was lifted off the ground and slammed into a wall. He was thrown into the wall again and again. The blood beat him against the building like a dusty old blanket.

"Stop it!" Renji demanded. "Stop!"

Shinji's head was cut open and he had a bloody nose. Every drop of blood he lost was added to the mass holding his legs. Shinji held his arms in front of himself to soften the blows but he was thrown so violently every time, it did little to help. He sent Kido flying behind him, blindly trying to find Zalya and stop him. Kido shot in every direction, missing Zalya completely but coming extremely close to hitting Renji. Shinji stopped firing and tried to push himself away from the wall. The skin from his hands were getting scrapped off, causing him to bleed more.

To stop him, Renji whipped his Zanpakuto at Zalya. He blocked with a wall of blood and from there the blood turned into a mass of daggers and flew straight at Renji in retaliation. Renji hid behind a building and ran around the other side to attack Zalya from behind. Zalya was waiting for him and stabbed Renji with a blood spike. The blood he shed was added to the spike, causing it to grow twice its size.

"Blood's life, baby. You have it flowing through you. As long as there's blood, I cannot be stopped." Zalya drove the spike deeper into Renji's chest, forcing more blood from the wound. The gathering blood formed a second spike which hovered over Renji's head. Renji tried to pull back but whips of blood had wrapped around his waist, holding him still. He couldn't escape. "See? The very thing that keeps you alive is the very thing that's about to kill you."

Renji gave a sidewards glance at Shinji who had taken a severe beating from the wall and hung limply in the air, his breathing hoarse and ragged. Blood dripped from his mouth and nose and the gaping wound on his forehead. His arms and hands were sheared of their flesh, exposing the tender red muscle beneath. The blood hung him like a dead animal to be drained of its blood. Every drop was taken and used to form new weapons and restraints. All Renji could do was watch and lean away from the sharp blood spikes pointed at his body.

Renji was afraid for his life. Normally in situations like these he could find a solution and summon up enough strength to break free and fight back. This time, Renji could find no way out. He was dizzy from blood-loss and his panic-stricken mind could no longer think.

* * *

Now we get into the action!

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	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter: 7**

Ichigo moved from one street to the next, chasing shadows. There was someone else here. He could feel it. He didn't want to leave Rukia alone but he couldn't help in the fight knowing there was someone watching them from an unknown hiding place. As long as Ichigo was on their tail, he didn't have to worry about a sneak attack during another fight.

Ichigo caught sight of something white and followed it around a corner. It disappeared again. To get a better view of the area, Ichigo climbed to the roof of the nearest building and took a look around. There was nothing here. The tension in his shoulders waned, but he didn't let down is guard. He knew someone was watching him. He just knew it. He could feel their eyes upon him.

Something flashed. Ichigo jumped back. Arrows. Ichigo chased the archer but they were gone. More arrows flew at him from a different location. This person was fast and preferred to keep themselves hidden. Cowardly but effective. When the arrows started flying, Ichigo ran to the place they were fired from. Many times he stood disappointed. However, this time he had a plan. He waited for the arrows to fly again and when they did, he ran from them, not to them. The archer seemed to run behind Ichigo when he ran toward the arrows, so if Ichigo beat him to the punch, he should catch them.

Something white ducked under a window and Ichigo pulled them out by their cape. "Hold it!" He dragged out the Quincy and threw him to the ground.

This Quincy was male with long sliver and white hair he kept in a ponytail. Before Ichigo could get a better look at him, he kicked Ichigo in the shin and tried to run away. Ichigo stomped on his stomach and held him down with his foot.

"Who the hell are you?" he demanded.

The Quincy gave him an annoyed look. "Sharif. Now get your damn foot off me!"

"Like that's going to happen."

Sharif fired an arrow at close range, trying to hit Ichigo's face. Ichigo stepped to the side and Sharif got up. Ichigo pulled him back by the hair, knowing Sharif would only hide in the shadows again and fire from a safe distance. When Sharif tried to fire again, Ichigo cut the pendant from his wrist and watched it fall to the ground below.

Undeterred, Sharif twisted around in Ichigo's grip and swung at him with a closed fist. Ichigo took the punch on his left cheek and stumbled back. It was a hard hit. Sharif grabbed Ichigo's sleeve and pulled his arm down. He brought his knee up into Ichigo's gut and bent him forward, flipping him onto his back. This guy could fight! Ichigo kicked Sharif where he lay and rolled onto his feet and took a swung at Sharif with his sword. Sharif kicked his sword aside with ease and grabbed Ichigo's wrist. He twisted it backwards, forcing the sword out of his hands. His Zanpakuto fell three stories below and landed with a clang.

Sharif stepped behind Ichigo and forced him into the wall, one hand behind Ichigo's shoulder and the other holding his wrist. Ichigo was slammed into the wall chest-first and pressed into it, knocking the wind out of him. He kicked behind him, aiming for Sharif anywhere he could land a blow. His foot found Sharif's knee and forced him back. He twisted around and drove his elbow into Sharif's chest. It had been a while since Ichigo had to use physical attacks but he wasn't rusty. If he ever found himself without a sword, he used what he had learned in karate and all those fights on the street to defend himself.

Sharif punched him in the face. Ichigo punched back. They stood close to each other and threw punch after punch at the other. Ichigo knocked Sharif's hand away and stepped close to elbow him in the face. Sharif twisted around and clubbed Ichigo over the head with his own elbow, making him kneel. Ichigo wrapped his arms around Sharif's leg and stood up, taking Sharif for a ride. He slammed him into the roof and sat on top of him, punching him over and over. Sharif spat in his face and rolled over, taking Ichigo with him. They rolled over each other several times and when they stopped Sharif was on top. He punched Ichigo five times in the face and once in the neck. Ichigo grabbed his fist when he tried to hit him again and attempted to break it. Sharif didn't pull away. Instead he used his other hand to bend Ichigo's backwards. Ichigo bent his leg, bringing his knee up into Sharif's back and sent him forward. When Sharif was close, he grabbed his collar and pulled him down. Ichigo had him in a sleeper hold but Sharif didn't remain there for long. He took something sharp from his pocket and stabbed Ichigo in the stomach. Ichigo released him.

Sharif scrambled to safety. Ichigo pulled the small knife out of his stomach and tossed it aside. He didn't want to use it on him. He would rather settle this with his fists since that seemed to be what Sharif wanted him to do.

Ichigo ran forward and tackled him. He sent Sharif into the wall and he could feel Sharif's blows on his back as he fought back. They sprang apart and started punching each other again. Ichigo spat blood.

"Bring it on, boy," Sharif taunted him.

When Sharif aimed a kick at Ichigo's chest, he grabbed his leg and held it off the ground as he punched it repeatedly until he heard the bones begin to crack. Sharif grabbed Ichigo by the hair and brought his face into his knee and then into the wall. They broke apart again.

Each took a fighting stance and waited. Ichigo was bleeding but so was Sharif though not as severe. Ichigo wiped the blood from his face with his hand. When Sharif came closer, Ichigo flicked the blood from his hand into Sharif's eyes. Sharif yelped and stumbled, wiping the blood away. While his eyes were closed, Ichigo kicked him in the stomach. Sharif opened his eyes and tried to hit him back. Ichigo kicked him again and again and again, kick after kick after kick, never letting up. He pushed Sharif back and, just as Sharif was about to retaliate, spun around and stomped down on Sharif's leg at an angel. His leg snapped and Sharif went down.

"Ah! My leg! Damn you!"

Panting, Ichigo stopped attacking and stood over him. "You started it. Now who are you and what the hell are you doing here?"

"Who put you in charge? You're not even a Captain by the look of things."

It was only right for him to introduce himself. Especially now that he had mopped the floor with his opponent. "I'm Ichigo Kurosaki."

Sharif stopped wincing and looked up at him. Sharif looked as though Ichigo had just confessed a juicy secret to him. "You're Kurosaki? Ha. I was actually expecting something else the way leader was going on about you."

"Leader?"

"Yeah. The guy who told us to come here. Don't worry. You'll meet him. That's why we're doing all this. He wants to see you in person."

"So he told you to attack innocent people?" Ichigo spat. "If this guy wanted to talk to me so badly, he didn't have to go through all this."

"Hey, I don't ask because he won't tell. Besides, you're all Soul Reapers. It's not like we care if you die. The less of you the better."

"Why's that?" Ichigo asked.

"Let's just say our kinds don't exactly see eye to eye on certain things."

Ichigo's eyes wandered down to Sharif's hand. One was still on his injured leg but the other had gone into his pocket. Ichigo took a step back, not knowing what to expect. It could have been a weapon, but what kind? He didn't want to get too close.

A second later, Ichigo was dodging arrows all over again. He had a second tool he used to shoot arrows. He wasn't about to run. Ichigo weaved between arrows and kicked the tool out of Sharif's hand. As soon as he did so, Sharif grabbed his leg and held on, trying to get Ichigo off balance. Ichigo hopped on one leg then deliberately fell to use it to kick Sharif in the face.

Ichigo's heel made contact with Sharif's temple and sent his forehead into the wall beside them. Sharif's grip went slack and Ichigo was freed.

"Damn this guy doesn't give up." Ichigo started to stand.

"Fufufufu..!" Sharif was laughing. He lifted himself off the ground and pushed himself up into a standing position. Even on an injured leg, he appeared to be fine.

Ichigo took a fighting stance, preparing for the next round.

"Rather than search blindly, I figured that leader would at least tell me what you looked like. It would have been so much easier. And besides..." Sharif licked his lips. "You're a freaking hottie."

Ichigo felt his shoulders slump. "I'm a what?"

Sharif was laughing. He was completely different from how he was a moment ago. In no time, he was in front of Ichigo, wrapping his arms around his torso. Ichigo fought against his white enclosure and shoved Sharif away. Sharif grabbed his arms and held him still. "So you like it rough, huh? Then come on and hurt me some more. Hurt me bad, cutie!"

"Get away from me!" Ichigo kicked Sharif as hard as he could and backed away frantically. This side of Sharif made him sick to his stomach.

"Fufufu!" he laughed. "How strong! Golly, what a turn-on!" Sharif puckered his lips. "Come here, Ichi!"

Taken completely by surprise, Ichigo found himself running in circles away from this Quincy. "Get away from me, you freak!" He felt ridiculous running away like this, but he couldn't stand to be anywhere near Sharif anymore. "Just stay away from me!"

"I just want a little loving from my sugary berry! Give mama a big kiss- Ow!"

Ichigo peered around the corner and saw Sharif on the ground, holding the side of his arm. Another Quincy was with him. This one had dark hair, combed back and falling to his shoulders. His cape was long and white. "Now, now, Sharif... What am I going to do with you when you get like this?"

"He-"

"I won't hear of it. Now step back while I speak to him like a civilized human being."

Sharif folded his arms and pouted childishly.

"Really, Sharif. I'd much rather have the other you around. At least he can take orders without the attitude." The Quincy then turned to Ichigo. "I'm so sorry about him. He isn't normally like this. Did you hit him in the head?"

"Uh... yeah?"

"That explains it." The Quincy sounded sincere when he spoke to Ichigo with an almost aristocratic charm. He looked and sounded like an educated gentleman that gave Ichigo a sense of security. "You'll have you excuse him. I'm afraid Sharif suffers from a sort of duel personality. He's normally very obedient and skilled. When he gets hit in the head, a second personality comes out. This one is female."

Ichigo looked at Sharif pouting in the corner. "That explains why he was hitting on me... if that's what he was trying to do."

"Don't take it personally. This personality will flirt with almost anyone. It's very annoying and to make matters worse, it is not very skilled at all. I'm afraid he becomes a complete waste when this persona comes out. Everything that makes the normal, real Sharif valuable goes out the window. Utterly useless to me now."

"I got skills!" whined the second Sharif.

"Just sit over there until the real Sharif comes back. It's him I need. Not you. You're worthless."

Even with all his charm, it was clear that this Quincy had a cruel heart. Though his patient tone made it easy for Ichigo to listen, it also made him wary, as if he had to listen carefully to everything the Quincy said or he would be tricked.

The Quincy stepped forward and showed Ichigo he was unarmed and unwilling to fight. "I just want to talk. I've been looking for you. My research told me that you had come to the Soul Society today. You're hard to track down, moving around as much as you do, Ichigo Kurosaki."

Ichigo had no weapon so he was also unwilling to fight. He decided to listen to what this man had to say. He had many questions he wanted answered. "What's your name?" he asked.

"Yagi. Yagi Komuru."

Ichigo's mouth formed a straight line across his face.

"What is it?"

"Doesn't your name mean 'goat'?"

Yagi chuckled as if Ichigo had just made his first attempt at a bad joke. "I suppose so. But the other part means 'suffer' so there we have it." Yagi kept his hands behind his back, which Ichigo didn't like. "I'm sure there are other things you would rather talk about."

"Why are you here?" Ichigo asked immediately. "What did you want with me?"

"Like I said, I just wanted to talk."

"Then make your friends down there stop attacking everyone."

Yagi chuckled again. "I'm afraid that would be counterproductive. You see, they, like many Quincy, don't like Soul Reapers."

"Yeah, I get that." Ichigo thought of Uryu. "I'm friends with one."

"I find that hard to believe. Soul Reapers and Quincies do not get along. Then again, you aren't all Soul Reaper, now are you? Just a mere substitute. Still, we are a proud race and we would never associate with Soul Reapers." Yagi's eyes wandered over to Sharif for a moment to check on his condition then rotated back to Ichigo. "So you see, I can't stop them from doing what they want to do. They hate Soul Reapers so much. Why on earth would I have them stop attacking the thing they hate most in this world?"

"Because you're their leader, aren't you?"

"Yes, I am. But that doesn't mean that I can tear them away from something they want to do. Least of all something I agree with them on. How would that make me look as a leader? Someone who hates Soul Reapers as much as they do calling them off from an attack on Soul Reapers? That makes little sense."

"So you told them to attack us."

"I simply let them off the chain."

Ichigo tightened his fists. "Call them off or we're done here. I refuse to speak with you anymore."

"You don't have to speak. Just listen. I come here not to fight but to bring great news." Yagi smiled a charming smile that sent a chill down Ichigo's spine. This was a dangerous man. "So we will no longer have to hate each other."

"Why's that?"

"Because we're going to wipe you out." Yagi stood like a king over his disciple. "We're tired of living under Soul Reaper law. They think themselves kings while we are viewed as the enemy. How is that fair? Once we wipe out all Soul Reapers, the Quincy shall be the ones in control and will rule this world and make our own laws to which everyone must follow."

Ichigo let a growl escape from between his teeth.

"Don't look so upset, Ichigo. As long as there have been people in power, there are those who seek to overthrow it. The difference with us is that we have the power and intellect to do so. Look around you." Yagi gestured to the Soul Reapers fighting for their lives against the attack. "If you cannot match against a mere five Quincies, how are you expected to rule? It's laughable. Clearly you are lacking. I've come here to show Soul Reapers just how weak they truly are. They have become too lax, too comfortable in their rule. They think themselves powerful when in actuality they are not. A Quincy could do far better. And we shall. You cannot fend off the five of us so what good are you to others? Pathetic."

Ichigo had nothing to retort with. He couldn't come up with an argument that would prove him wrong. When words failed him, he resorted to fists. He knew this man was wrong and his actions didn't justify his cause. There was another solution. He didn't have to resort to this. It was senseless killing. Ichigo was going to put him in his place with a powerful punch.

His fist never reached his target. Yagi had stopped Ichigo's fist with his hand and held him there. At no point did his face show any signs of effort. Holding Ichigo back was all too easy.

"I see you've reduced yourself to their level. Resorting to violence when words fail you. When you can do nothing else."

"And what the hell are you doing?! Slaughtering people like this! Innocent people!"

"They are Soul Reapers and therefore not innocent." Yagi pushed Ichigo's fist back. Ichigo felt no pain in his arm or wrist. Yagi wasn't trying to hurt him. "My dear boy, do you ever think? Use your head. How do you think we've managed to come this far? Just the five of us? We're skilled. We have more power and tools and knowledge at our disposal than the Soul Reapers you fight so hard to protect. That is how we have made it this far. We're just that good."

Yagi's other hand reached to snatch something out of the air. He held a rock between his fingers and thumb.

"Leave Ichigo alone!" came Linnette's voice. She had thrown that rock.

Yagi grinned at her as if she were a kitten attempting to roar. He was amused. "These Soul Reapers pride themselves on being superhuman monsters. You are a mere human. If they are no match for me, what makes you think you will be?"

Linnette held up another rock threateningly. "Let him go!" Linnette wasn't backing down. She wasn't afraid to stand up to Yagi. "Right now!"

Keeping a hold on Ichigo's fist, Yagi turned Ichigo around and forced him to stand in front of him. Ichigo didn't resist, concerned not only for himself but for Linnette as well. It was admirable for her to attempt to rescue him but it was foolish considering how she was unarmed and untrained.

"We're just talking," said Yagi. "Don't worry. He isn't hurt."

Linnette wasn't backing down.

Ichigo wanted to tell her that everything was alright and for her to leave but he knew she wouldn't even if he told her to. She wasn't stupid. She knew he was in danger and had no weapon. She must have felt it was her duty to save him. He wasn't in any immediate danger. Ichigo knew he didn't need help in this moment. Linnette being here was complicating things. He had to get her out of here.

"I'll handle this, Linnette. Please let me fight him on my own." Surely she wouldn't be offended if he told her this. Ichigo often wanted to fight his own battles. If Linnette thought she would embarrass Ichigo by rescuing him, maybe she would back away and leave them alone. Ichigo knew she wanted to prove herself to be important and helpful and that was why she was here now defending a friend. If it would hurt Ichigo's pride, or at least thought it would, Linnette would leave Ichigo to fight for himself.

It appeared to work. Linnette started to lower her arm. She understood Ichigo's message. At least, the message he was trying to convey to her.

"Good girl." Yagi's grip tightened slightly around Ichigo's hand. He didn't want Ichigo to move. He was up to something. Ichigo could feel it in his squeeze. "Sharif."

Having recovered from his head trauma, Sharif, the dominate one, was on his feet aiming an arrow at Linnette's thin frame.

"No! Stop it! She backed down!" Ichigo twisted in Yagi's grip. "This is between you and me. We agreed to leave her out of this!"

"I never agreed to that. If she is an ally of yours then she is an enemy of ours. Do it, Sharif."

"No! Don't!"

Sharif shot a single arrow at Linnette.

Linnette was pulled aside by a man in white and he caught the arrow in his hand. It snapped in his hand and fell apart like shattered glass and glitter. Victor had once again showed up to defend Linnette.

"How cowardly to attack an unarmed human, much less a girl," Victor lectured. "How dare you?"

"She was asking for a fight so we gave her a taste."

"If your quarrel is between Quincies and Soul Reapers, leave her out of it, seeing as she is neither," Victor told them.

Yagi looked amused, not taking Victor seriously in the slightest. "You cannot protect her from everything, you know. If she wants to fight, then let her see for herself the dangers and risks first hand."

Victor pulled Linnette behind his back. "If Linnette wishes to fight then I will be by her side. We fight together as one."

"Have it your way." Yagi turned his head. "This one is yours, Sharif. Fight on."

"Yes, sir." Sharif rolled behind the wall and out of sight. Victor kept Linnette close to his body, trying to track his movements with his eyes. As soon as he saw Sharif's head, he pounced. Linnette ran behind him, keeping up.

Once they were out of sight, Ichigo turned on Yagi and pulled his arm free. "She was surrendering and you attacked her?!" Ichigo threw a punch at Yagi. "You are a coward!"

Yagi avoided the punch, bending his body back slightly to let Ichigo's fist sail just under his chin. "She needs to learn. In battle, no one cares. No one will show mercy. The one who wins is the one who is left alive. You see? If she is my enemy, why would I let her live? There are no room for soft hearts on the battlefield."

"And you think you're fit to rule anybody?" Ichigo threw punch after punch at Yagi, every one of them missing his face. "It's cowardly! It's pathetic! You're scum is what you are!"

"If you kill them now, then they cannot come after you in the future. Better get it over with now. Mercy is for the weak."

"Every time I find a person willing to say that, it makes me just want to hit them harder!" This time Ichigo made contact. His knuckles slammed into Yagi's chin causing his head to jerk to the side. Caught off guard, Yagi stumbled back. "I bet you've never heard of honor or respect either. There are some things you just don't do in a fight! Attacking someone who can't defend themselves is what makes you weak! It's pathetic and cowardly and-"

Yagi grabbed Ichigo's jaw and bent his head to the side. Ichigo had to bend his body in order to keep his neck from breaking.

"See, that's the thing. People care too much about honor and how it would make them look. That's all emotional. If you don't care what people think of you, then you're free to make good logical choices. People think it's cowardly, but those who make such choices live a lot longer. In the end, that is all that matters. You cannot win if you are dead."

Ichigo swung his leg around to kick him. Yagi blocked with his right arm and pushed Ichigo's leg away from his body.

"Even now you are emotional and cannot think or make good choices." He spun Ichigo around and pinned his arm behind his back. Ichigo was forced onto his toes, arching his back to cope with the pain in his shoulder and spine. "Now are we going to finish our talk like civilized people or are we going to do the barbaric emotional scuffle you Soul Reapers are so accustomed to doing in times like these?"

Ichigo stopped resisting but not because he was at a loss and was giving up. As soon as he was free, he was going to find a way to get to his sword and cut this man's throat. Feeling Ichigo's body relax slightly, Yagi released him. Ichigo stepped away and faced him, rubbing his arm.

"You wanted to talk, let's talk."

"Good boy." Yagi smiled at him. Ichigo wanted to wipe that smile off his smug face as soon as possible. "Now where did we leave off? Oh, yes. I believe I was educating you on the truth about Soul Reapers. How much they lack and whatnot. I mean, look around you, Ichigo. There are only five of us and you cannot defeat us. It's pathetic. The actions and reasons you criticized moments ago aren't nearly as pathetic as what's going on right now."

Sharif went flying from the roof into another building. Victor soared after him. Sharif moved just slightly to one side as Victor's hand punched a hole in the wall right where his head had been a moment ago. He grabbed Victor's arm and tried to take him down with him. Victor turned his body so Sharif would land first on the ground. As soon as they did, Victor lifted him up and threw him into the building a second time. Sharif was bleeding but managed to stand, determined.

"You see?" said Yagi. "Even against a superhuman such as Victor there, a Quincy will always stand his ground and fight. Sharif is very loyal. One of my best fighters. If only he didn't have that annoying condition, he would be a perfect warrior."

Ichigo shot Yagi a look. "How did you know Victor's name? How do you know about him?"

"That is just another thing to add to the list of reasons we are better than you." Yagi looked proud of himself. Arrogant and eager for praise. "I've done my research. I don't much care for fighting. However, I have a formidable brain. I prefer to fight using my head rather than my fists. Don't get me wrong. I am a capable fighter, I just prefer not to dirty my hands and reduce myself to such a level."

"How do you know about Victor, I asked!"

"So loud..." Yagi looked like he was scolding a child who wouldn't sit still. "I said I've done my research. I used my mind and skills to hack into Mayuri's information. I know everything about this place. Everything it has seen, every weakness, every battle and every ally. I've been through the archives. I know your history. I'm aware of who Victor is. I know about the girl, too. She's a mere human. Mayuri has run tests on Victor but no one else in their group. I can understand why he isn't interested in the girl, being human and all. I know all about how they became known to you Soul Reapers. I know about that serum Victor invented two years ago. I accessed it and all the information about it."

Ichigo's spine tightened and his teeth clenched. "It was you. You did it."

Yagi didn't say a word when he turned to face him. Only smiled.

"You're the one who turned those people into Hollows!"

"I had to run some tests to make sure it worked. Every experiment requires a test or two. I changed the formula so I could make it stronger and improve it. I have to thank Victor for creating it in the first place. Without the original, I wouldn't know where to begin. It would have taken me years to discover such a thing on my own. He helped speed things along for certain. Of course, I have to thank Mayuri, as well. He's the one who put everything on file. Since Victor never wrote any of it down, it would have been impossible for me to know what to do. Mayuri's the one who documented it. Without that information, I would have been lost. It would have taken me ages to come this far. But now that I have the information, I'm free to use it as I see fit. Even change it to make it more potent if I desire."

"Why would you do that?!" Ichigo demanded. "Why?!"

"A better question would be why not? Every scientist wishes to test the boundaries and go beyond the limit. They want to see how far they can take something. See if such things are possible. Even use it for their own devices. Maybe make it into a weapon. Who's to say?" Yagi then frowned at Ichigo. "But why are you getting mad me? Blame Victor. He's the one who created it in the first place."

Ichigo clenched his fists.

"Oh..." Yagi cooed sympathetically though his face showed a twisted amusement that had Ichigo's blood boiling. "Did they think it was him? Did they blame Victor? Were they upset with him? I understand. He created such a horrible thing. It's no wonder they are wary of him. They consider him a threat."

"He's not that person anymore! He's changed. They've all changed."

Linnette wasn't the spoiled child who was taught to believe that everything in this world was due to her. She didn't blackmail people into being her friends. She didn't kidnap people so they wouldn't leave her. She was different now. She had changed. Victor and Cedric no longer raised her to think that way. They took her out of show business and showed her a better life. One of simplicity and love. She had friends now. She learned how to be better. They all did.

"But he created it. What makes you think that part of him isn't still inside? He's still capable. That makes him a threat, doesn't it?"

"It's about choice! They chose to be better. Victor promised not to do that anymore."

"So? The point is he did. And because he did, I was free to take it and use it for myself. Don't you see, Ichigo? People make mistakes. Whether or not they learn from them is irrelevant. The point is, they committed them. And because they committed them, it opens a door for other things to happen. Intentional or not. If he hadn't created it in the first place, I wouldn't be here. He set something into motion. Therefore, any act I commit must also be placed on him. Condemn him as well as myself. He is to blame. Therefore, my actions cannot truly be faulted. Any sin I commit is his sin. So really, I'm not doing anything wrong."

"You can't justify your actions that way! So you're saying that if you do something wrong, you're not to blame but it's someone else's fault?" Ichigo didn't know if this man truly believed it or was just trying to find some way to make his actions seem less severe. "So if a person gets thrown in jail and then breaks out, the person to blame is the judge who sent him to the jail in the first place because if he wasn't there to begin with he wouldn't have broken out? Is that what you're saying?"

"Yes, actually."

"It makes no sense!"

"It does, but your mind cannot see it." Yagi sighed. "It doesn't matter. What's done is done. I used it on those people to test it out. Each time, it improved. I take credit for that, of course. But the fact of the matter is that if Victor hadn't created the serum in the first place, I wouldn't be using it myself at this time."

Ichigo attacked. He ran straight at Yagi. Expecting this, Yagi turned to block him. At the last second, Ichigo jumped to the right and threw himself off the roof. Ichigo dropped straight down, twisting his body to land on the ground with both feet. Just as he passed the second floor window, he pushed up off the wall. He landed beside his sword and snatched it up with one hand. He knew he had to stop Yagi. As long as he stopped him, this would all end.

"Getsuga Tensho!"

His attack took off the roof of the building and a large chuck of the body. Yagi wasn't there.

"Barbaric."

Ichigo moved to attack the voice behind him. Yagi dodged each swing. Ichigo swung low so it would be harder for him to dodge. Yagi caught the blade with his fingers.

"Get it through your thick skull, Ichigo. If I am leading this attack, it must mean that I am better than the rest of them. Your friends cannot even manage against my comrades. So how do you think you can be a match for me?"

Victor caught Sharif from behind and pinned him against the wall. Sharif cried out in great pain and tried in vain to push himself away from the wall against Victor's grip.

"If you try shooting my little girl again, I will kill you."

"Get off me!"

Victor glanced at the girl behind him. "Please take a step back, Linnette, sweetie." As soon as she did so, Victor pulled Sharif away from the wall and threw him straight up into the air. Before Sharif could correct himself to land properly, Victor jumped up to meet him in the air and kicked him over the buildings and out of sight. Victor landed on the ground with barely a hair out of place. He walked back to Linnette and put his arm around her. "Even if he survived that, he'll be in too much pain to come here to attack you again. Still, keep close and be careful."

Linnette nodded her head. "What about Ichigo?" she asked looking around for her friend.

"I believe he wants to fight this battle on his own. I say we let him."

"Ok." Linnette's mouth was turned down in a worried frown.

"He'll be fine," Victor assured.

"Get off! Let go!" Another Quincy had appeared. This one dangling from Cedric's hand by his jaw. He kept pulling and scratching against Cedric's hand but he wasn't letting go.

"Cedric."

"Victor." He nodded to his brother.

"Why are you still holding onto him?" Victor asked.

"Rukia believes that he can give us some valuable information so he will be imprisoned." Cedric looked down at the girl at his side. Rukia was keeping a careful eye on the Quincy in Cedric's grip. Aside from a few scratches, she seemed unharmed.

Linnette was relieved to see her alive and well.

"Has anyone seen Renji?" Rukia asked. "Or Ichigo?"

"Renji, no. Ichigo is fighting a Quincy up there." Linnette pointed to the broken building. "What's left of it at least."

Rukia looked at Linnette and then to Victor. If they were here then that meant that Ichigo didn't want any help in his fight. They had to stay out of it.

Suddenly, Victor turned his back to Linnette and stood in a fighting position. Something was coming their way. Rukia held her sword out in front of her, ready to attack.

Injured Soul Reapers. They were limping away from a small group of other Soul Reapers, these ones moving stiffly and swinging their swords to attack their comrades. It took a moment for Rukia to realize that they were dead. The injured Soul Reapers were fleeing from their dead allies.

"We have to help them," Linnette urged.

"Alright. Stay behind me." Victor hurried to stop the dead Soul Reapers, but they weren't going down. Even when Victor cut them in half, their bodies kept moving. Their legs walked by themselves and the upper body continued to swing. It was like watching a wined-up toy get knocked on its side and continue to move.

"What the hell is this?" Rukia asked in disbelief.

Linnette kept close to Victor as he tore the dead apart. Soon they were nothing more than twitching limbs wiggling on the ground. Victor kept Linnette shielded with his back, making sure nothing was going to spring out and attack. Rukia kept her sword drawn and pointed forward. Another corpse was lumbering towards them. Linnette coward behind Victor who kept her hidden behind his extended arm. Rukia stepped forward to take care of this one. One she could handle on her own. Victor stood protectively over Linnette while Cedric held onto the Quincy in his hand. Aside from the one walking corpse, there was nothing else around.

Yagi looked over Ichigo's shoulder at the group below. A smile spread across his face. "There they are, speaking of which. There are your friends. There's Rukia and Victor and..."

Ichigo pressed his sword into Yagi's side, trying to cut him. Yagi's hand kept the sword just out of reach of his body. He wasn't going to get distracted. He had to stop Yagi no matter what. He pushed his sword forward with both hands, putting his whole body behind the press. Still, the blade never reached him.

"Do you know why they listen to me, Ichigo? My comrades?" He never stopped smiling. "It's not because we share the same desire. It is because they respect me. It's a given that you must have respect. If I were to call them away from doing something we've been wanting for a long, long time, how would that make me look? I would lose their respect. But it isn't just that. I am stronger and smarter than they are. While it is true that I do not like to fight and they are all aware of this fact, how do you suppose I keep them in line?"

Ichigo pushed as hard as he could. The sword just wouldn't reach.

"It is because they fear me."

Ichigo took his left hand off the sword just for a second to grab Yagi's shirt and pull him into the sword. As soon as he did so, Yagi grabbed his hand and pulled him closer. With his other hand, he pointed the blade away from his body.

"While I'm sure your superhuman friends want to respect your wishes and let you fight this battle alone, I don't trust them. Not as much as you do. So I have to get rid of them."

"I thought you did all your research," Ichigo growled, trying to pull himself away from Yagi.

"I did. I know they are next to unbreakable. Which is why I'm going to attack the girl. She's only human, after all."

"Victor and Cedric will never let you get close."

Yagi clicked his tongue in a disapproving fashion. "See, now that is their flaw. All that power means nothing if they cannot reach her. You see, they act as her shield. I'm fully aware of that. And a shield can only protect against something that is coming at you from outside. But what if the danger is within? A shield is useless against poison. So if I attack her from the inside, there is nothing they can do."

What did this mean? What was he talking about? Ichigo's fearful curiosity caused him to turn his head to look at Yagi's face. His eyes were focused on something behind Ichigo. Ichigo turned his head slightly to look over his shoulder. Linnette was behind him with her guardians and Rukia. She was several yards away. No blade could reach her from here and even if they could, Victor and Cedric were right there to protect her.

"Blood Spear."

As soon as those words left Yagi's mouth, something horrifying happened that had Ichigo's mouth open in a silent scream.

It sounded like holes being punched in a tightly stretched piece of cloth. In an instant, Linnette's body looked like a human porcupine. Long thin spears punctured every inch of her body from the neck down. They were from inside her body. As quickly as they appeared, they shrank back inside her body, but the holes remained. Blood began to ooze from the round wounds.

Linnette toppled over and lay still on the ground.

For an instant, everything was silent.

"Linnette!" Victor frantically spun around and rushed to her side. Cedric threw the Quincy from his grip and bent down to the girl on the ground. They cried her name and examined her body. There was nothing they could do. "Linnette! Linnette!"

Rukia threw her sword aside and rushed over to help. Linnette's body disappeared behind their backs, crowding around to help her.

Ichigo could hear his own heart beating wildly in his chest. The beating was so loud and powerful, it sounded as if it were coming from his skull.

"What a pity."

Yagi's voice had Ichigo shaking.

"I developed that move after spending some time with my cousin, Zalya. He is a blood user. Very skilled. I found a way to make the blood in a living body temporarily solidify and puncture the body from the inside, causing massive damage to the organs and bones. It's very deadly."

"You bastard!" Ichigo screamed. He buried his fingernails in Yagi's arm and pulled him in close. He bashed his forehead into Yagi's chin. Without hesitation, he took his hand off his sword in favor of punching him instead. He managed to get in two good hits before Yagi stopped his hand mid-strike.

"See? Emotions get in the way and cloud your judgment. You're coming at me in a rage and are therefore unable to think clearly. All you want to do is hurt me. You're an easy target."

Ichigo was no longer listening. Yagi's actions had him seeing red. Seeing Linnette fall like that had him out for revenge. Hearing Victor and Cedric's cries filled his heart with agony. Ichigo could feel everything they felt in their cries. He wanted Yagi to pay for what he had done. He wanted to stop him before he did it to someone else.

Yagi stepped forward, forcing Ichigo to bend backwards. "Was she important to you? Or is it that you cannot stand to see someone get hurt? You're a sensitive one, aren't you, Kurosaki?"

Yagi was strong. Ichigo couldn't push him back. Maybe he could use this strength against him. Ichigo fell backwards, taking Yagi down with him. Ichigo planted his back to the ground and pressed his legs into Yagi's stomach, flipping him over and into the ground over Ichigo's head. Ichigo got to his feet and grabbed his sword. He swung at Yagi over and over but no matter what, his attacks never reached. Yagi slapped Ichigo's sword out of his hand with the back of his arm and stepped towards him. Without his sword, Ichigo resorted to punching him again. He kept both fists up close to his face. He used his right to jab, keeping his left close to his face, protecting his jaw. He only managed to hit Yagi twice. When Yagi tried to grab his arm, Ichigo used his leg to kick him and jump back, keeping a distance between them. Ichigo stepped in again and punched Yagi in the chest. Yagi grabbed Ichigo's wrist and spun him around. When Ichigo's back slammed into his chest, Yagi closed his other hand around Ichigo's neck and held him there.

"It's pointless to be a shield if you cannot defend against such an attack. It strikes within the body and there is no escape. There is no way to avoid it. There is nothing to block. Which is why is was perfect to use on her."

Ichigo gasped for air. He was still attempting to beat Yagi within an inch of his life.

"It's a type of poison. And like most poisons, there is a cure."

For a moment, Ichigo stopped struggling to listen. If he had just heard correctly, there was a way to save Linnette if she wasn't already dead.

"I'd be careful if I were you, Ichigo. I alone hold the cure to save her. If anything happens to me, she's as good as dead." Yagi turned Ichigo around to face him. Keeping a hand on Ichigo's neck, he hoisted him off the ground and held him close to his face. "And even if you don't care about the girl's life, that's fine. There are other people to choose from. Like that black-haired girl down there with the white sword. You two seem close."

Ichigo growled through his teeth like a dog baring its fangs.

"Oh? Does that upset you?" Yagi's smug smirk again. How Ichigo hated that smile of his. "You saw what I just did. I can attack at a distance. I can do it at any time and I don't even have to be able to see the person I want to infect. See how dangerous I can be? I can kill anyone at anytime with that power and if you kill me, there go your chances of saving anyone who has been infected."

Very slowly, Yagi lowered Ichigo to the ground.

"You want to save her life and the lives of your other friends? The friends I am threatening with this power?"

Ichigo was listening. If there was a chance, however slim, he had to at least hear him out. If he tried to punch him now, he could use the power on Rukia or someone else. He held the cure.

"Seek me out."

Ichigo blinked.

"You heard me," said Yagi. "I want to speak with you away from this place and you want us to stop attacking your friends. We will leave here. We will withdraw for now. However, if you value their lives, you will come and find us where we're staying. We have a hideout not too far from this place. Just head one o'clock from where you're standing now and travel a few miles until you come to a large field. When you reach that field turn to your right and follow where the sun travels and you will find us. Just look for the rocks."

These directions weren't the best but Yagi must have wanted to keep their hideout a secret.

He set Ichigo on the ground completely and took his hand away from his neck. "Come alone. Do so and I will save the girl and spare your other friends."

Ichigo didn't trust him. He could have been making all of this up.

"Like I said, if you want to save her, you will do this. If you don't care about the girl, fine. Then I'll attack your Soul Reaper friends. If you don't care about them, then I will use this power on your classmates and human friends. If you do not care about their lives then what about the lives of your sisters?"

Ichigo's heart was racing. His body was stiff with dread. Even his breathing had gone ragged.

"I know a lot, Ichigo. I've done my research. I know where they live, go to school, even their names. I know that they are twins and share a room in your home in the World of the Living which also doubles as a medical clinic."

He wasn't bluffing.

"Now do you understand? If I want to, I can kill everyone you care about. Everyone. Until there is no one left. It is easier to take over when there is no one to oppose you."

What could he do? Ichigo didn't have a lot of options. Yagi gave him his options right there. It all came down to choosing between doing what he said and risking everyone's life. If he attacked him, there went his chances of saving lives. All Yagi wanted was for Ichigo to meet him alone at a different location. If he agreed, then Yagi would take his comrades with him and the fighting would end. Linnette's life hung in the balance. Yagi held the cure. He also held the power to do it again to someone else. Ichigo wasn't willing to risk the lives of his friends. He wasn't going to gamble with fate.

"Do we have an understanding, Ichigo Kurosaki?"

Come alone to that location. Yagi would end the fighting. He wouldn't attack anyone else. He could cure Linnette.

Could cure her. There was no guarantee that he would do it. Still, it held the possibility. If there was even the slightest chance...

"Fine. Deal." The second Ichigo spoke those words, he wanted to take them back. Then he thought of his friends and family and knew he was out of options. He had to do it. Yagi gave him no choice.

"Good." Yagi pressed a button on his belt. A red light flashed three times before going out again. "I will be waiting for you there. I promise not to hurt anyone during that time. However, if you do not come within the day, I will assume betrayal and the attack will resume."

If he didn't show, he would continue the attack. Ichigo only had one day to decide and find him.

"I look forward to seeing you then. Ichigo." Yagi gave a short bow of his head and wrapped himself in his cape and jumped. Yagi moved so swiftly, it was almost as if Ichigo were watching a fish swim through a crowded stream. Within no time at all, Yagi was gone.

* * *

"Huh?" Zalya looked down at his belt. A red blinking light lit up his white clothing, distracting him from finishing his battle with Renji and Shinji. It wasn't much of a battle as far as he was concerned. He was winning. "Damn. Looks like we're done here."

Shinji was dropped on his head and Renji was thrown to the ground by the retreating blood. Zalya recalled his red weapon and used it as a surfboard to flee to scene.

"Thanks for the fight. It was fun, baby. Later!"

In the next street, Yaku looked down at his waist, seeing the flashing light and grinned. "Looks like we're done here. How depressing for you. I know how much you wanted to finish this. Maybe some other time."

Hitsugaya watched Yaku turned his body to the side. Keeping the mirror close to his chest, Yaku jumped and started running across the rooftops in retreat. Hitsugaya didn't follow him. There was no way for him to keep up in his condition and he didn't want to risk getting caught in that mirror. He let him go.

The fighting came to a sudden halt everywhere. The walking corpses went back to being lifeless bodies once more and blood splattered to ground, not a single drop moving. Five men dressed in white flew through the air, retreating to the gate. In mere moments, the gate was open and they fled on foot out of the vicinity. Not a single one was captured and no one was in any shape to go after them.

Yaku, Zalya, Mordere, Sharif and their leader Yagi, all escaped.

* * *

D:

Please review!


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter: 8**

Squad 4 was a madhouse. The infirmary was packed full of injured Soul Reapers. Everywhere Ichigo stepped there was someone getting bandaged or being pumped full of medicine. The members of Squad 4 were running in every direction, trying to get to everyone who needed attention. Those with more serious injuries were seen first, of course. Plenty of Soul Reapers were injured with broken bones or deep cuts or missing limbs were taken care of first and those with minor cuts were told to either take care of themselves or wait.

However, out of all of them, one person was seen immediately by Unohana herself. Linnette was carried into Squad 4 in the arms of her protectors barely breathing. Victor and Cedric pleaded for help, something Ichigo had never seen or heard before. The ever calm and gentlemanly Victor was reduced to a frantic mess, screaming for someone to help save Linnette's life. At first glance, she didn't seem to be in need of immediate care. The holes in her body looked no larger than the head of a pin and the blood flowing from the wounds was a faint trickle compared to the buckets of blood others were filling while they waited to be treated. However, one look and Unohana knew that Linnette wasn't going to make it unless she was seen at once.

The attack was from within her body. To the untrained eye, one would have never noticed that her internal organs were ripped apart and her body was shutting down. Everything inside her body was punctured. Her liver, her lungs, her stomach, her kidneys, everything. Including her heart.

Ichigo paced the hall, looking at the injured laying in their beds. When he reached the last room on the left, he stopped. Victor and Cedric were pressed against the door, trying to see inside the tiny window. Linnette had been transferred to this room for additional treatment and the two weren't allowed inside. They had no choice but the stand outside her room and wait. Ichigo knew it must have been painful for them. There wasn't a thing they could do.

Ichigo stood close, trying to think of something comforting to say but nothing came to mind. He wanted to tell them that she was going to be fine but after seeing her in that condition and knowing what had happened to her frail human body, he was having doubts. Was she going to pull through? Was she going to die?

"It's my fault."

Ichigo lifted his head. It was Cedric who spoke those words.

"It's not your fault," Victor told him. "I failed her."

They couldn't protect her. Their one job was to keep her safe and protect her and they couldn't do it. They felt they had failed.

"The attack happened inside her body," Ichigo told them. "There was nothing you could do."

"We shouldn't have brought her here. She said she wanted to help fight and we allowed it. We should have refused and taken her away."

Linnette wanted to come to the battlefield. They gave in to her wishes and let her go. If only they had refused her desires and hidden her someplace safe, this wouldn't have happened.

"It's not your fault," Ichigo said firmly. "The enemy didn't have to see her in order to do it. He said he could do it from anywhere. What if she was home and decided to do it? At least it happened here. Unohana is the best there is. If anyone can fix Linnette up, it's her. Have faith in her. She'll do everything she can to save Linnette."

They didn't look convinced. They looked heartbroken and frightened. Ichigo had never seen either one of them look scared before. It made him feel like he had swallowed a block of ice.

Cedric hung his head. "We couldn't protect her."

No matter what Ichigo said, it wouldn't reach them. They were too obsessed with their failure to hear anything other than what they knew in their hearts. For the first time in their lives, they couldn't do their job. Linnette was the most injured she had ever been and they were worried about the outcome. They didn't know what was going to happen to her. They were scared. They blamed themselves. If the worst should happen to Linnette, it would be on them.

The door opened. Victor and Cedric looked at Unohana, their eyes pleading for good news. Unohana wore a grim expression.

Ichigo waited for the news, his mind dwelling on a single possibility. He hoped to hear different.

"Linnette..?" Victor asked quietly.

"A machine is breathing for her. She has yet to regain consciousness. But her heart is beating."

That one bit of good news brought Ichigo some relief. She wasn't dead. However, Victor and Cedric didn't look any less stressed.

"Is she alright? Will she be ok?" Cedric asked.

Unohana sighed. "It's too soon to tell. I can't be away from her. Her condition isn't good. I've never seen anything like this before. I'm trying to mend her insides as best I can but... It will take time."

Whether she meant time for Linnette to heal or time to see if she would survive was unclear.

"May we see her?" Victor asked. He was already trying to get inside the room but Unohana was blocking him.

"I don't think that's a good idea."

"Please?" they pleaded. They were truly worried about Linnette and wanted to see her condition for themselves.

"I can't let anyone in here. No one other than myself and anyone I've appointed to assist me can enter this room. It could make her condition worse. She's not very stable. I'm afraid that for now, until I have a better handle of the situation, you cannot see her. You'll have to wait out here."

Linnette's situation was a mystery to them. They had no way of knowing how she looked, what Unohana was doing to treat her, what machines she was hooked up to.

Ichigo knew how they must have felt. There were times when someone he cared about was in critical condition and he simply had to see them. Just for a moment with his own eyes, he had to see them.

Unohana turned back into the room, unwilling to be away from Linnette for too long. Victor and Cedric went back to crowding around the door, waiting and hoping for something good to happen. They, more than anyone, were unwilling to be apart from her for too long.

Unable to think of anything to say or do for them, Ichigo turned and walked up the hallway to see how the Soul Reapers were doing.

By this time, most of them had been treated and some were already up and moving around. Renji had some minor injuries but was busy sulking on a bench as if he had lost a limb. Ichigo didn't see his fight but he knew from the expression on Renji's face that he lost and was humiliated over it. Rukia was nowhere to be found. Neither was Shinji. Ichigo searched for some familiar faces, just to keep busy.

Then he came to Hitsugaya's room. He was sitting up in bed with his leg in a cast. He had bandages on his face and arms, but they seemed minor. He looked like he was in a bad mood, too. His expression was similar to Renji's.

"How is he?" Ichigo asked Isane.

She looked troubled, but when she spoke she sounded a bit more upbeat than her face let on. "His leg was in pretty bad shape. It was a bad break. But compared to the others in the area, I say he was lucky to get that. It could have been much worse."

"The others?" Ichigo asked.

"Some were dead and others were in critical condition." Isane looked to the wall on the other side of the room. "Then there's those guys."

Ichigo looked at the pile of Soul Reapers gathered against the wall, slumped on their sides. They looked miserable. "What happened to them?"

"I say it's a case of severe depression. Although, when I look closer that them, I don't think that's entirely the case," she said.

"Who cares?" asked one of the men. "There's no point."

"What he said."

Ichigo frowned. "What's wrong with them?" They were behaving strangely.

"They had all their positive feelings and thoughts sucked out of them," said Hitsugaya from the bed. "According to the man I fought, he said that he could either suck out a person's Spirit Energy or their positivity. At least that's what he told me."

"Who did you fight and why aren't you like these guys?" asked Ichigo.

"That's why I say he was lucky he just got a broken leg," said Isane.

Hitsugaya explained. "His name is Yaku. He carries around a mirror that can absorb what I just told you. He also uses it to reflect a person's attacks and he can make a mirror copy of the person he is fighting. I thought he would be easy to take down but he proved stronger than he looked." Hitsugaya looked down at his leg, his expression darkening with self-loathing. "Damn, I should have known better. I let my guard down."

"It's alright, Toshiro."

"Captain Hitsugaya," he corrected.

"Did Yaku say how long the effects would last?" asked Isane.

"No," he answered. "Since he said that he uses his mirror to absorb a person's energy I assume that means that it won't wear off. I think it's trapped in the mirror."

"So these guys are going to stay depressed like this until either the mirror breaks or Yaku decides to give it back."

"Possibly, yes. Until then, I think you're going to stay in this miserable state. Yaku wasn't very clear."

"Still, I have to agree with Isane that you got off easy. Would you rather be like these guys?" Ichigo pointed to the men on the ground.

"We lost the fight..." they moaned into the floor. "How pathetic. We lost. We're losers. Saw that coming. I knew we wouldn't win. What's the point in fooling ourselves? We're weak. If even a Captain couldn't take down the guy, what made us think we could?"

Hitsugaya seemed to take offense to that comment.

"We deserve what we got. Joy is fleeting anyway."

"Well, they're going to be feeling sorry for themselves for a while." Ichigo looked back at Hitsugaya. "What if the mirror was broken? Could that fix them?"

"I suppose. But now that they're gone, we'll have to wait to find out. We don't even know where they've gone."

 _"Seek me out."_ Those were the words Yagi spoke to Ichigo before they left. If Ichigo took him up on his offer, then he could go there and find the mirror and break it himself. It was a possibility.

"Is Captain Unohana doing alright?" Isane asked.

Her question made Ichigo's heart sink, remembering Linnette's condition. "Oh. Well... She's still..."

"I see." Isane gave him a smile. "I'm sure it'll be alright." Her smile was clearly fake.

At least she was trying.

* * *

For the next two hours, Unohana didn't leave the room and Victor and Cedric didn't leave from the door. Ichigo wandered around for a while but kept coming back to see if they had moved from that spot. Every time he saw them in the same place, pressed against the door, waiting. Tired of wandering around, Ichigo went to stand with them, hoping his presence would offer them some comfort. Maybe they would see him there and know that Linnette's life was important to him, too.

The door opened at last and they were right there to hear what Unohana had to say.

"I've done all I can for now."

Ichigo didn't like the sound of that. Somehow, it sounded foreboding to him.

"She's as stable as she can be."

"Is she going to be alright?" Cedric asked.

"I can't tell. When I said I've done all I could for her, I meant that we have to wait and let the treatment take effect. If I do anymore now, it could be risky. We just have to wait."

They weren't comforted. "Can we see her?"

"Not just yet. I will stay with her. But you two should keep busy."

"We want to see her."

"I can't let you do that," said Unohana. "In her condition, it could make things worse. But please don't worry. We're making progress. You just have to hang on a little while longer. I'll let you see her just as soon as I can. You don't want to put her in jeopardy, do you?"

Hearing the possibility of them making matters worse of Linnette, they didn't ask again. They already thought that this was their fault. Hearing that they could put her life in additional risk must have made them feel even worse.

If Unohana's intention was to keep them at bay using guilt, she was doing an excellent job.

"Please," she told them gently. "Keep yourselves busy. Do something. I will be here. I'll let you know if there is any change. So please."

She didn't want them around the door anymore.

"Will that help her?" they asked sadly.

Would leaving her alone help her? That must have been the meaning behind their words. Were they useless here, too?

It was painful to watch them.

"It will help me help her. So please." Unohana turned to Ichigo. "Ichigo, would you please take them somewhere they can keep busy? Just for a little while?"

"Uh, sure." Ichigo didn't approach them. Only looked in their direction. They turned and followed him away from the door. When Ichigo looked back, he saw them both looking at the door, watching it get further and further away. Getting further and further from Linnette.

Ichigo faced forward and clenched his fists. He didn't feel any pain. He was numb.

* * *

This was harder than Ichigo thought it would be. Not just getting Victor and Cedric away from the room but to cope with these feelings he was having.

He wasn't especially close to Linnette, however she was a friend. He cared whether she lived or died. He just didn't think it would effect him this much. Maybe it was because at heart he was a sensitive person. He didn't want anyone to get hurt. Maybe he was feeling this way because he knew the history he had with Linnette. That he was the one who saved her from her old way of life. He saved all three of them, actually. Yet here he was unable to save her from an enemy attack. He had a feeling Victor and Cedric were feeling a similar way, only much stronger. They were her family after all. Ichigo was just a friend.

Maybe it was effecting him this way because he had to watch Victor and Cedric deal with this difficult situation. They didn't know what to do with themselves. All they wanted was to be with Linnette. They wanted her to be safe. To live. For them to go back to their lives and have nothing change.

They occupied themselves by helping clean up the Seireitei. They moved large heavy pieces of building an average Soul Reaper couldn't manage. It was a breeze for them. Victor moved away from Cedric to assist someone further away. Cedric lifted and carried large fragments over his shoulder to the pile in the next street. All the while, Cedric looked numb, as if his body were in autopilot. He lifted and carried, never saying a word and never reacting to anything that happened around. Victor was the same way only Ichigo couldn't see him now.

Was Ichigo feeling this way because somehow their emotions were being partially transferred to him? He did have some empathy. More so than a lot of students in his class, it seemed. Maybe it was because Linnette was his friend and he felt he let her down. Maybe it was because he didn't want to see anyone get hurt. Maybe because it was such a senseless act that didn't have to happen. All because of a Quincy who wanted to flaunt his power and prove that he was dangerous. Or perhaps it was because Ichigo couldn't stand to see Victor or Cedric in this way.

Aside from worrying about them, he was fearful for his other friends. If Yagi could do this to Linnette, then he could do it again to someone else. Someone Ichigo was even closer to. Yagi even said he could.

 _"Seek me out."_ That was what he said. Those words echoed in his mind over and over again. There was a chance he could save Linnette and countless others.

Something was holding him back, though. A part of Ichigo didn't want to do it. Not because he didn't care about Linnette's life but because of the feeling he had inside. It wasn't just out of principal. It was more than not wanting to give in to the enemy and do as he was told. Perhaps it was because deep down inside, he knew it was a trap. Yagi wanted him there for a reason. He wanted him to come to him. Alone. That sent up red flags right there. Ichigo didn't want to do it. He would refuse if he had a choice.

Though Yagi said that he would give Ichigo a choice, he didn't truly mean it. There was no choice for him. Not when it came right down to it.

The Soul Reaper assisting Cedric pointed him to another piece of building. It was massive but nothing Cedric couldn't handle. He went over to the fragment and slipped his hands underneath it to get a good grip. He pulled his arms up, his hands under the building fragment. Pieces crumbled but the fragments didn't budge. Cedric squatted down, adjusted his leg position and lifted the fragment. It rose onto its side ever so slightly but didn't leave the ground. Cedric's legs shook under its weight. It slipped from his fingers and fell back onto its other side.

He couldn't lift it.

Cedric tried rolling the fragment to the pile, pushing against the flat surface with both hands. He threw his shoulder into the effort, pushing. His feet slid on the smooth ground. Finally, Cedric stepped back in defeat. This part of the building would have to stay right where it was.

Ichigo who had been watching this from where he sat on the stairs grew concerned.

* * *

Soon, Victor and Cedric were right outside Linnette's room again. Waiting. There was nothing to report. Linnette's condition had not changed since they were last by the door. When they were told to leave the hall, at first they refused, but then, not wanting to make her worse, they moved. It seemed striking fear into them using Linnette's condition as an excuse worked.

Ichigo didn't like how they were being manipulated but he trusted that Unohana wanted them away for a reason.

Cedric walked around the hall, stopping every now and then in front of her room to stare at the door for a minute or two and then continue on his way. Victor tried to assist the Soul Reapers in the recovery rooms but his charming demeanor was gone. He seemed just as depressed as the Soul Reapers on the floor he was trying to move onto beds. They kept rolling out on purpose, saying how they didn't deserve a bed after losing.

Now Victor was sitting by a window in a wooden chair, watching the clouds pass over the Seireitei. Time was ticking by very slowly. Ichigo stood behind him, again trying to think of something so say.

"What can I do?" he asked to Ichigo's reflection in the window.

Ichigo couldn't answer him.

"I couldn't protect her from the attack. I can't heal her. I can't make her well. What can I do?"

"Just..." Ichigo had to respond, but he wasn't sure what to tell him. "Hang on. Trust Unohana."

"Cedric and I don't trust most people with Linnette. We've always trusted ourselves and believed in our power to shield her from every possible danger. Now I can't even trust myself to do the job she created us for."

"She didn't just create you to protect her. She wanted a family. She wanted someone to love her."

Victor nodded, looking out the window. "Yes. I'm aware of that." He ran his thumb over the back of his cupped hand resting on his lap. "When she's sick, we're at a loss for what to do. We don't get sick so we don't know how it feels. We have no idea what it's like. But from looking at her it seems painful. I try to keep her as comfortable as possible. I keep her warm, bring her soup and read to her."

Ichigo couldn't remember the last time someone did that for him. He always toughed it out and took care of himself. Even his father didn't cater to him when he was ill. Most of the time, he called him weak and pathetic to have caught a cold and how he needed to man up. This was coming from a man who ran a clinic from his own home.

"When it's winter and she wants to play in the snow, we always make sure she doesn't leave the house without a jacket on and boots. I tell her to bundle up. Cedric tells her to wear two pairs of socks and mittens. Tells her to wear snow pants. If she wears a scarf, she has to keep it tucked into her coat because he's worried it will snag on something and choke her. We watch her from the porch when she's with friends and other times we play in the snow with her. When she comes in from outside, we wrap her in a blanket and give her something hot to drink. If she's covered in melting snow, I dry her off and Cedric runs her a warm bath. We sit on the couch when she's dressed in her warm indoor clothes and keep her warm, watching TV together."

Ichigo remembered playing in the snow with his friends. They had snowball fights and pushed each other down the hill. Yuzu would bring him a towel to dry himself when he got home and he would run himself a bath. Karin would make hot chocolate for all three of them and offer Ichigo the first marshmallow.

"I'm aware that we cannot protect Linnette from everything. I realize that every time she becomes sick. But we always take care of her, no matter what happens. If she has a cold and I make her soup, if she has a sore throat and I give her ice cream. If she's cold and I bring her a blanket, or too hot and I turn on the fan and give her iced tea, which she doesn't care for very much. I give her medicine, I read to her, I put a moist cloth on her head. If she has a splinter, if she has a cut, if she has a bruise, a headache, a stomachache. I take care of her no matter what it is. Even if it is something beyond my control, I do what I can for her. I take care of her and make her better."

Ichigo lost sight of Victor's eyes in the window as he lowered his head sadly.

"What can I do for her now?" he asked Ichigo softly.

For the first time ever, Victor was helpless. Victor and Cedric couldn't do anything for Linnette. It must have been beyond frustrating and disheartening for them.

"Victor?" Rukia appeared in the doorway. "There are some people who need a refill on water. If you're interested." Now even Rukia was coming up with things for him to do to keep busy.

"Alright." Victor stood up from the chair and stumbled into the wall. He put out his arm to brace himself and straightened up. He walked by Ichigo with slow sad steps and left the room.

Rukia was going to follow him when she looked back and noticed the worried look on Ichigo's face. "What's wrong?"

"I..." Ichigo was shocked. "I've never seen Victor stumble before. He doesn't do that. Ever."

"Well, you're not with him all the time. He must have stumbled at some point in his life. The guy can't always be perfect no matter how he appears on the surface."

"Yeah. I guess." This was wrong. "No," said Ichigo. "Something's not right. I don't like this."

* * *

From that moment, Ichigo shadowed Victor and Cedric as often as he could. He knew something wasn't right. He followed them so much that Renji was starting to tease him about it.

When Ichigo turned around to say something to him, Hanataro and two other members of Squad 4 came running by. Ichigo watched them run down the hall and disappear into Linnette's room. Something just happened.

Ichigo ran to the room and stood outside the door. He could hear muffled voices from within and a lot of rustling. Beeping, clattering and more voices. After a few minutes, things got quiet again, but no one left the room. It was Ichigo's turn to stay. He stood outside the room and waited. He waited and waited. When his knees ached and his back start to hurt, he squatted down and sat against the wall. Time seemed to move so slow. He could swear he was waiting for hours.

The door opened and Hanataro stepped down, sweaty and tired.

"Hey, Hanataro." Ichigo stood up quickly. "What happened? Is everything ok? How is she?"

"Uh... Well... Uh..." Hanataro wouldn't look him in the eye.

"Tell me. Please. How is she?"

Hanataro gulped. "Well... she, uh... she... got worse. Her body started to... shut down again. Captain Unohana got her to stabilize again. But..."

"Is she going to die?" Ichigo asked before he could stop himself.

"We don't know. No one has seen anything like this before. It's difficult."

"How bad is she?"

Hanataro looked at the floor. "She still can't breathe on her own. Her heart is beating but it's weak. Her organs are... They took a lot of damage."

"But she can fix that, right? Unohana's great at that stuff. Right?"

"Yes, she's fantastic. But... Linnette is only human. If this were a Soul Reaper, the damage wouldn't have been as severe. Plus the way the attack was on her body and the type of damage it caused..." Hanataro looked uncertain. "It's just strange."

"Like a poison?" Ichigo asked, remembering that was the word Yagi used to describe it. "Like she's infected by something that won't let her body heal and needs a cure?"

Hanataro didn't respond.

 _"Seek me out."_ Ichigo again remembered those words Yagi spoke to him before leaving. The echo of his word was even louder than before.

"Ichigo?" Hanataro had looked at him after a prolonged silence. "Are you alright?"

Ichigo wasn't able to see the expression on his face but he knew it must have been grim.

Hanataro had to go back into the room to assist Unohana but Ichigo no longer felt like talking to him. There was nothing more to say. Linnette's condition was bad. Very bad. Ichigo found himself wandering the halls after seeing Hanataro. He was at a loss for what to do with himself. He had to keep busy so he wouldn't think about what was happening behind that door.

He was angry at the Quincy who did this. He was angry at himself for not being able to prevent this from happening. He felt sorry for Linnette, but most of all he felt sorry for Victor and Cedric. Ichigo was only a friend. They were family. They must have been suffering more than anyone.

"How is she?" Renji asked him when he walked by.

At first Ichigo didn't notice him. "Not so good."

"Damn." Renji didn't seem too upset by the news. Just annoyed. "What the hell is taking Unohana so long to fix her up? This isn't like her. It should be easy for her. What's going on?"

It was different from anything Unohana had to face before. Either Renji didn't understand this or he chose not to.

"Those guys are like zombies. They must be really worried about her. They're so sluggish and they've stopped helping with the clean up. I guess they're too depressed to keep busy anymore and just want to mope around."

Ichigo knew he was talking about Victor and Cedric.

"I mean look at them." Renji nodded across the hall at the two men. "I mean, I understand they must be really upset, but it's still kind of pathetic. I feel bad for them and all, but still. Seems a bit... you know."

For the first time in hours, Ichigo forgot his self-pity and Linnette's condition. Now he was focused on the two men across the hall moving very slowly. Cedric dragged his shoulder along the wall as he walked, taking slow deliberate steps. His face was scrunched up as if it were in pain. Victor, who always carried himself with great care and poise, was now walking slouched with his arms hanging limply in front of his bent body. Several times, he had to lean against the wall to rest his weary legs which shook under his body between steps.

"How long have they been like this?" Ichigo asked.

"I wasn't paying much attention to them. A few minutes, I guess. Within an hour, I know that much. Why?"

Ichigo watched them closely getting even more concerned.

Seeing the frightened look on his face, Renji leaned closer to Ichigo. "What's wrong?"

"They're getting weaker."

"Hm?"

Ichigo turned away from them to look at Renji. "They're getting weaker. I've noticed that a while ago. Cedric couldn't lift that building today and he could always do it before. Then after that, I saw Victor stumble."

"So what?"

"So Victor doesn't do that. I've never seen him stumble before. He's the picture of grace. And now look at them. They can barely stand on their own two feet."

"Maybe they're having an off day?"

"Not like this." Ichigo had a sinking feeling. "I think it's Linnette. I think their lives are linked. She created them to be with her. If she's gone, what is their purpose? I'm starting to think if Linnette dies..."

Renji looked concerned as well. "You don't think that they would really..? Are you sure?"

"The worse Linnette gets, the weaker they become," said Ichigo. "I think it might be true."

* * *

Emotions! And this could be a problem. Let's see what happens.

Please review! Pretty please! ^-^


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter: 9**

What could he do? What was he supposed to do? Ichigo had to do something. He didn't know what to do with himself. He was even more upset than he was before. Now three lives hung in the balance. He was certain that if Linnette died that Victor and Cedric would soon follow.

He paced the hall trying to think of something to do to occupy his time. Every time he thought he had found something to do, he would become restless and move on to something else. He couldn't settle. He couldn't understand why he felt so uneasy. Were the events of the day really effecting him this much?

"Worried about the girl?"

Ichigo looked up, realizing he had wandered into Hitsugaya's room. The white-haired Captain was reading a book to pass the time though it didn't look like he had gotten very far in it. His broken leg was propped up on a pillow and his other leg was hidden under a blanket.

"It's written all over your face." Hitsugaya put the book on his lap to give Ichigo his undivided attention. "I heard she wasn't doing very well. Hanataro told me when he came in a little while ago."

"They might die, too," Ichigo told him. "Victor and Cedric. I think their lives are linked."

"So you're worried about all three of them."

"Yeah. I just didn't think it would effect me this much. I'm not sure what I'm feeling or why. It can't all be because of Linnette."

"If it makes you feel any better, I understand how you feel."

The part inside Ichigo that wanted to argue took control of his mouth and began to form words before he could think of something to say. "How would you know? If you're talking about what happened to Momo before, don't bother. I know about it. But she pulled through, didn't she? You don't have to tell me. I get it."

"I wasn't going to bring her up." Hitsugaya kept his eyes on Ichigo while he spoke. "I was talking about what happened today."

Ichigo decided to listen.

"When I faced Yaku, I thought I could handle him. I knew I could do it. I truly believed that." Hitsugaya sighed and his face looked pained. "But I underestimated him. I let my guard down. I thought I had the battle won but he proved to be stronger than I gave him credit for. I felt like such an idiot. He made me look like a joke. He made me look so weak. If only I had taken him more seriously, I wouldn't be sitting in this bed with a broken leg feeling sorry for myself. I've been beating myself up over that fight all afternoon."

Hitsugaya must have been taking the outcome of the fight pretty hard. The look on his face said it all. What made Ichigo realize just how much this battle effected him was the fact that Hitsugaya was actually willing to talk about it. Normally Hitsugaya didn't discuss his battles to Ichigo unless asked to. It was rarer still for him to bring his personal feelings into it and share them with Ichigo like this.

"I keep playing the battle over and over again in my mind, trying to see where I went wrong and what I could have done differently. Maybe if I used Bankai I would have won. But I didn't use it because I was afraid Yaku would use it against me. I held back. Maybe that was my biggest mistake. If I could, I would do it over again. But I can't. What's done is done." Hitsugaya gripped the blanket tightly in his fists. "Maybe if I had done things differently, those Soul Reapers wouldn't have been reduced to that."

Ichigo glanced at the Soul Reapers moaning on the floor, still refusing to use the beds.

"I feel like what happened to them is my fault. That I would have won if only I had done things differently. But I was afraid. I was worried that it might make things worse. I made some poor choices. Now I feel like I'm just as weak as I made Yaku out to be."

Was Ichigo upset not only on account of Linnette but because he felt it was his fault for not being able to protect her? That must have been part of it. Even more so, Ichigo felt like he himself had failed. That he was weak. He wasn't able to stop Yagi. He should have been able to. Yagi was stronger than he looked. He wasn't able to do it. He was weak. Maybe part of what he was feeling was self-pity. He was feeling sorry for himself.

That must have been it. It was a combination of feelings at all once that had him feeling this way. He was worried about Linnette. Worried about Victor and Cedric and he felt sorry for them having to go through this. He was worried for his friends after seeing what Yagi could do and was informed that he could and would do it again to those Ichigo cared about. He was afraid of what he would do and who would be next. He felt sorry for himself and was wallowing in self-pity, inept and weak when it came to battle. He had lost his fight so easily. He felt so pathetic. He was angry at himself. He was angry at the the Quincy who did this. He hated Yagi and all his Quincy friends who had come here looking for trouble.

Sorrow, anger, hatred, fear, worry. He felt them all at once. Those feelings were sitting inside of him, tearing him apart. Sometimes it felt like those emotions were all fighting each other, each one trying to be the emotion Ichigo would feel the most at that moment. Other times it felt like they were all happening at once which left him confused and sick to his stomach.

Now he thought he had it figured out. Now he knew why he was feeling so upset. It was a combination of everything that had happened.

"Thanks," Ichigo mumbled quickly to Hitsugaya. If it hadn't been for him, Ichigo might have not figured this out for who knew how long, if not at all. He felt a little better now that he had sorted out his feelings. Hitsugaya told him exactly what he needed to hear.

Nodding, Hitsugaya went back to his book and ignored him.

Ichigo didn't stay long. He had to keep moving. He had to do something.

 _"Seek me out."_ Again those words echoed in his mind, getting louder every time he heard them.

"Ichigo!" Rukia came running down the hall looking panicked. At first Ichigo thought something had happened to Linnette but that was not the case. "Follow me. Quick!"

Rukia led Ichigo down the hall and around a corner. She stopped and pointed to the men at the end of the hall. Victor and Cedric had gotten even worse. They were barely standing. In fact, Cedric could no longer hold himself up and slid down the wall and sat on the floor. Victor was fighting to remain standing, his hands pressed against the wall in front of him. He rested his head on the smooth surface. His back moved up and down, struggling for breath.

As Victor wobbled, Ichigo dashed forward to help support him. He put a hand on Victor's back, letting him know he was there. "Victor."

He turned his head to look at Ichigo. His eyes started to fade and blur. He looked sick.

Rukia stood beside Ichigo, looking up at Victor with concerned eyes. "Are you alright? What's wrong?"

Victor's body started to sway slightly. "I... don't feel right..." As he tried to turn away from the wall, he lost his balance and fell into Ichigo.

Ichigo tried to support Victor's dead weight with both arms. Victor, being a few inches taller than Ichigo, slumped over his shoulder. Ichigo bent his knees, slowly lowering Victor to the floor. He leaned him against the wall and tried to make sense of what happened. Victor was still conscious, but his eyes were closed and his chest moved up and down as if it were difficult for him to breathe. Breathing seemed to be a chore for him now.

"Victor." Ichigo touched his hand, trying to get his attention. "Victor?"

Victor opened his eyes weakly. "I don't feel... like myself..."

Ichigo looked at Rukia. "We have to get them help."

"How?" Rukia wasn't opposed to the idea, she was just concerned about the fact that there wasn't anyone who could help them. Victor and Cedric weren't human. In fact, they were the only two of their kind. No one else like them existed, therefore, no one knew how to help them.

They may have been beyond help.

"Just help me get them up." Ichigo slung Victor's arm over his shoulder and helped him walk to the nearest room. Victor's legs dragged more than they stepped as they walked down the hall, moving very slowly. Rukia supported Victor's other side and held the door open when they came to the room. Victor's body dropped onto the bed like a stone.

When Ichigo went back for Cedric, he noticed that the larger of the two was missing. He couldn't have gotten far in his condition. Ichigo took Rukia down the next hall where they found him, crawling on his hands and knees.

"Cedric, stop." Ichigo ran to him and bent down. "Cedric, stop. Stay still. Let us help you."

Cedric tried to keep going. "Linnette..." He was trying to crawl to her room. "Linnette... I have to see her..."

Rukia tried to stop him. "But the way she is now, she can't have anyone see her. Just stay put. Please."

Cedric stopped crawling but not because of what she said. His legs have given out. Cedric toppled over and stopped moving. His eyes were still open. His body had just given out on him.

"Cedric..." Ichigo saw the desperation on his face. Cedric wanted so much to be with Linnette. He hadn't seen her since they brought her in for treatment.

Together, they carried Cedric to the same room as Victor. Cedric was much heavier than the slender suited man. It was even harder to get Cedric into the room but somehow they managed.

Isane came in to assess their condition. She didn't know what to do for them. Just as Rukia had figured, they were the only ones of their kind and no one knew what to do for them. Needles broke when they were pressed against their skin and they held no blood in their bodies. Isane was at a loss for what to do.

"Just wait, I guess," she told them. "There's nothing we can do for them."

"Linnette getting better will help them. I know it." Ichigo truly believed it. "I think they're like this because she's not well. She might be dying in there and as a result, so are they."

Isane shook her head. "Then there is truly nothing I can do. I'm sorry."

Ichigo turned to the men on the beds. Victor and Cedric could no longer move their bodies. They were too weak to do anything other than lay there. What could he do? How could he help them?

Ichigo took a seat and watched them, hoping their condition would improve. Rukia stayed with him until she was called away. She encouraged Ichigo to eat, leaving him a small plate and a glass of water. It was a few minutes before Ichigo reached for the bread on the plate. He didn't eat it right away. Only held it. For the entire day, he hadn't had much of an appetite. Now his stomach was craving food and his shaking hands told him that he needed to keep up his strength before he could worry about theirs. He ate slowly, watching the men for signs of change.

Nothing happened. They were still and quiet.

The plate was empty and so was Ichigo's mind for ideas. He couldn't think of anything he could do for them.

 _"Seek me out."_ There was that voice again, playing back Yagi's words. It was so loud now Ichigo could swear Yagi was standing right beside him.

"Um..."

Ichigo looked at the open door. Hanataro was standing in the doorway looking as nervous as ever. Ichigo stood up and went out into the hall to speak with him.

"Linnette is stable. If you wanted to see her for a minute, you can. But just a minute."

This was some good news. Then Ichigo's heart sank, thinking of the two in bed who, more than anyone, wanted to see her. Only they couldn't. Victor and Cedric could not move. They didn't have the strength.

"Is she improving?" Ichigo asked.

Hanataro shook his head. "She's the same. She hasn't woken up or anything. Since there are no changes, I thought now would be a good time to see her. Just for a minute. That's all."

"Got it. Thanks." Ichigo looked back into the room.

How?

"Ichigo."

He looked up and saw Renji leaning against the wall, watching him.

"Go in and see her if you're so worried," Renji told him.

Ichigo looked back into the room. "They want to see her more. I'll see her after they do."

"Look at them, Ichigo. They can't."

Renji was right. Even so, Ichigo couldn't bring himself to look at Linnette if Victor and Cedric couldn't. It wouldn't be right for him to see her and for them not to. Ichigo refused the offer. If Victor and Cedric couldn't see her, then he wouldn't see her.

Ichigo went back into the room and stood between the two beds, watching them. Their eyes were closed. Ichigo knew they didn't sleep so he wasn't sure what this was. Maybe they just didn't have the strength to keep their eyes open anymore.

After a few minutes, Ichigo's heart leapt in his chest, hearing a voice.

"Ichigo."

It was Victor's. Victor was talking to him. Ichigo moved closer to the bed and bent down to hear him. Victor's voice was weak and melted into the dim, quiet room.

"Take me to her... Take us to Linnette... Please."

Victor's soft voice pleaded to him, making Ichigo's heart ache.

"I have to see her. Please, Ichigo. Take us to her. Please." Victor's voice paused then started up again, saying something so simple yet so meaningful that Ichigo simply couldn't refuse. "I want to be with her."

Ichigo nodded slowly in understanding. "Ok." Ichigo stood and pulled Victor into a sitting position. Victor didn't have the strength to lift himself off the bed. Though determined, his body simply couldn't do what his heart desired most of all. Ichigo turned his back to him and pulled his arms around his shoulders. He held his hands carefully to his chest as he lifted Victor off the bed and onto his back. Ichigo took a step forward away from the bed. Victor's legs dangled uselessly. He couldn't walk. Ichigo hunched forward to balance Victor on his back while he put his hands under Victor's legs to support him.

Renji watched him struggle from the door. He looked like he wanted to help but at the same time couldn't bring himself to do so unless asked. Perhaps there was something inside Renji that told him that this was something Ichigo had to do alone. Though Ichigo gave him no hints that this was the case.

"Renji, get Cedric."

"Huh?"

"Help me. Just get Cedric and bring him to Linnette's room." Ichigo wasn't making two trips. They would see her together at the same time. Always the two of them, together.

"This is ridiculous, Ichigo. They can't even-"

"Just do it!"

Suddenly, Renji found it impossible to refuse and was going over to the second bed. He didn't even grumble about how Ichigo had left him with the heavier of the two.

Ichigo took Victor into the hall, walking carefully, one step at a time. He could feel Victor slipping slightly, unable to hold on, so Ichigo had to walk hunched over just to keep Victor on his back.

They stopped in front of Linnette's room. Ichigo stood there trying to figure out how to open the door without dropping Victor. Before he could think of a solution, a hand came out and turned the knob. It was Rukia. She made eye contact with Ichigo and nodded her head, knowing what was happening and what it meant. She opened the door and stepped aside.

The room was dim, the curtains closed over the single window on the far wall. The room was filled with beeping machines and monitors. A table was on the left side of the room, trays of medical supplies resting on top. On the right side of the room was a single bed. The frozen stone was back in Ichigo's gut when she saw her. Linnette was hooked up to several machines and a clear mask was over her face, breathing for her. She was pale and didn't move at all. Her eyes were closed and her long dark hair was spread across the pillow under her head. She looked so frail. Seeing her like this made Ichigo realize just how grim her situation really was. At any moment, she could die.

Feeling Victor slip slightly, Ichigo entered the room and stood in front of the bed. Victor didn't have the strength to lift his head but his eyes were open, looking straight at the bed. "Linnette..."

Ichigo looked at the door. Renji struggled inside with Cedric over his shoulder, half carrying half dragging him inside. "Damn he's heavy," Renji complained as he entered the room. Ichigo stepped aside to let Cedric be at Linnette's right side and Victor on her left.

There were no other beds in the room and no chairs. Something told Ichigo that they wouldn't be able to stay in a chair anyway. Ichigo stepped forward and bent down. He carefully took Victor off his back and lowered him to the floor. "Thank you," he whispered as Ichigo stepped back. Renji did the same with Cedric. Ichigo pulled Renji aside and they stood by the wall, observing.

This was their time. Their moment together.

Using all his strength, Victor turned his head to look at the girl in the bed at his right. He could just see her from where he lay on the floor. "Linnette... Sweetie..."

She didn't respond. The mask over her face fogged every time she took a breath, letting him know she was still alive.

"Linnette..." He had to speak to her. Even if she couldn't respond, maybe she could hear his voice. Maybe it would reach her and call her back to him. "Linnette... We're right here. We're with you."

Always with her.

"I'm sorry we couldn't protect you from this. It's my fault you're like this now."

"No, Victor," said Cedric from the other side of the bed. "The fault is mine. I should have taken her away from there. She said she wanted to go into battle and I let her. I should have disobeyed and taken her somewhere far from the fighting. I couldn't keep her safe."

"It's not your fault." Victor looked to Linnette. "It wouldn't have mattered. Linnette wanted to do this. She wanted to help. She did it for her friends. Even if we told her not to, she would have done it anyway. Remember what she said? She said she wanted to help Ichigo."

Ichigo's heart skipped a beat. She did it for him?

"Linnette..." Victor was talking directly to her again. "Sweetie, I know why you wanted to go into battle. It wasn't just to protect your friends. It was to prove yourself. You were upset that people criticized you for using others to fight for you. That you hide behind us in battle and don't do anything yourself. But those people are wrong. We do it to protect you, not because you told us to. You were worried that you were getting in the way. You wanted to help. You wanted to be useful."

Linnette was only human. She wasn't a Soul Reaper. She couldn't use a sword or use Kido. She didn't have monstrous strength, she couldn't fly. She lacked so much. Aside from her Hollow-controlling voice, she had nothing to set her apart from an average human being. Her body was weak and frail. She couldn't fight, but she wanted to try anyway. She wanted to help others. She had finally found friends and she wanted to make sure nothing happened to them. She was determined to keep them. She didn't want them to think she was helpless and toss her aside because she wasn't of use. She had seen it with her own eyes that people seemed to value Victor and Cedric over her because of the things they could do that she could not. She didn't want to be discarded.

More than that, she wanted to keep them safe. It wasn't enough for her to ask Victor and Cedric to protect her friends for her. She wanted to do it herself. She also wanted to fight alongside them, as equals.

"Linnette, you are strong. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise," Cedric told her. "I've seen you work hard to get stronger. You said you would do it for your friends."

She wanted to become strong for them. Ichigo remembered her telling him during their last parting that the next time they met, she would be stronger. Strong enough to stand beside him in battle and not be in the way.

"I know you don't want people to think you're weak. I know you don't want to be discarded again," Victor told her. "But even if you lose all your friends, even if they no longer like you, you will always have us. We will always be there for you. We will always be with you. And we will always love you."

"No matter who you are, we will love you. No matter what you become, we will love you. Strong or weak, we will love you." Cedric continued what he knew Victor wanted to say. "Even if no one else wants you, we always will. We will always love you. No matter what."

Their love was the most unconditional Ichigo had ever seen.

"You don't have to prove yourself." Victor tried to lift his hand to hers but he couldn't manage. No matter how much he wanted to, no matter how determined, his body was too weak to comply with his wishes. No matter how strong they may be.

Ichigo watched him struggle to lift his hand and failing to do so. All he wanted to do was hold her hand. At this point, it was all he could do for her. Yet he couldn't even do that. He couldn't walk to her room, he couldn't see her, he couldn't lift his hand to clasp hers.

Unable to stand watching him struggle for another second, Ichigo stepped forward and took Victor's hand and stretched his arm until his fingers touched Linnette's. He walked to the other side of the bed and did the same thing for Cedric.

They held her hands, flanking her on either side just as they always have done. All three connected. And together.

"We love you, Linnette." Cedric turned his head to look at the hand interlocked with his. "Even if no one else does, we always will."

Victor looked as if he were crying, but his body wasn't capable of producing tears. All he could do was scrunch his face in painful sorrow and hold her hand. "We love you, Linnette. We love you so much."

Ichigo clenched his fists. It was as if their pain and sorrow was being transmitted to him as well. He understood them. He considered them to be friends. Whenever he saw Victor and Cedric, they were always strong. It was as if nothing could touch them. They were invincible protectors, yet gentle caring lovers. Their kindness and protective nature was devoted to Linnette. They would do anything for her. They cared only for her. However, over time Ichigo noticed that they had started to show kindness to others. They offered protection to anyone Linnette cared for. They showed the ability to care for others, even like other people. But Linnette always came first. Once Cedric had mentioned that they couldn't care about anyone other than Linnette and no one else mattered to them. That was no longer true. They, too, had become Ichigo's friends. They liked him and not just because Linnette liked him.

Now here they were, laying on the floor, unable to protect anyone. Here they were, weak and of no use to anyone. For the first time in their lives, they needed help from someone else to do the simplest things. The ones who were always helping Ichigo now needed his assistance just to hold the hand of the one they loved most of all. For them to be reduced to this was painful. It was painful to see them so weak and helpless. It was painful seeing them struggle just to see her. It was painful knowing how much they suffered from knowing that for once they were unable to protect Linnette. It was painful to know that they all knew she might die. It was painful to know that they would most likely die, too. Even if they didn't, they would be dead inside if she was no longer with them. Linnette was the center of their world. Their whole world.

Ichigo understood that pain. He knew.

"That's it." He couldn't take it anymore. Ichigo turned away and walked out of the room, leaving Renji alone with the trio. He stormed past Rukia who was still in the hall. She was about to chase after him but thought he needed to be alone for the time being and let him go.

He couldn't take it anymore. He couldn't watch this anymore. He couldn't hear it anymore. He couldn't stand by and do nothing anymore.

 _"Seek me out."_ Yagi's voice came again, so loud his words sounded like they were being spoken directly into his ear. _"Seek me out."_ The voice wouldn't stop. It was getting louder, pounding the inside of his skull, refusing to be ignored for one more second. _"Seek me out."_

Ichigo wasn't going to ignore it anymore. If that was what Yagi wanted, then he would give it to him.

"I know that look."

Ichigo stopped walking and turned his head. Shinji was standing behind him. His head was wrapped in bandages and so were his arms and hands. There were smaller bandages across his nose and cheeks as well. Though none of these seemed to bother him as he stood there watching Ichigo. He didn't look to be in pain at all. Shinji looked as if he knew what Ichigo was planning and didn't approve.

"That's the look of a man on a mission," Shinji continued. "Just what are you planning on doing, Ichigo?"

Maybe it was Ichigo's overwhelming emotions that took over because before he could stop himself, he was talking, speaking his mind. "I can't take it anymore. I have to do something."

"Captain Unohana is doing all she can for her. There's nothing you can do. Just hang on a little while longer and-"

"That Quincy I fought did this to her. He said he could cure her."

"Yeah, but we don't know where they are." Shinji studied Ichigo's face. "You know where they are."

It wasn't a question.

Ichigo didn't answer him.

"You know, don't you? Did he tell you?"

"He gave me an idea. He just told me to walk one o'clock from where we fought and keep going in a certain direction until I came to some rocks. All he gave me were vague directions."

"How long have you been sitting on this information? If you know where they are, then-"

"He told me to come alone," Ichigo said quickly.

Shinji sighed. "I see." When Ichigo didn't respond, he went on. "And you're just going to go there alone. All by yourself? You really think that's a good idea? Ichigo, this whole thing screams 'trap' to me. Surely you know this. You're not an idiot."

"I'm not going to let her die!" Ichigo shouted. "I'm not going to let any of them die!"

He didn't want Linnette and the others to suffer for one more minute. Not if there was a way out. Not if there was something he could do about it. Yagi told him that he could cure her if Ichigo went to see him. Saving Linnette would also save Victor and Cedric. Even if it was a risk, Ichigo had to take it.

He knew in his gut that it could be a trap and it likely was. Even so, he had to do something. Perhaps knowing that it was a trap would help him. If the enemy thought he was going to be oblivious of the possibility, then Ichigo would have the advantage.

"Besides," Ichigo continued, "Yagi left me alive back there. He said to meet him somewhere else. He could have killed me then but he didn't. That means he doesn't want me dead. At immediately, at least. I mean, if he wanted to kill me, he could have done it then. It doesn't make sense for him to come here, make threats, then run off telling me to follow him just so he can kill me in a different location."

Shinji agreed with him. "You may be right about that." Shinji looked down, thoughtfully. "But we still have to take this seriously."

"I am taking it seriously."

"Oh? Then what's your plan? What if it is a trap? What will you do then?"

"I'll figure something out."

"That isn't a plan. Ichigo, listen to me. You can't just go there by yourself and expect everything to go your way. The enemy is dangerous. We didn't take them seriously and look what happened. They made us look like a joke."

"He told me to go alone. If I don't, someone else might get hurt." Ichigo had to do this. "Even if it's a trap, I have to do something. I can't just let Linnette and the others die."

Shinji sighed. "I'm not a heartless person, Ichigo. Don't think I don't care about what happens to her. I gave you my reasons for keeping my distance. Of course I don't want her to die, either."

"It's not just her," Ichigo admitted. "If Yagi could do that to Linnette, then he can do it again and he said he would. What if he does it to Rukia? Or to Renji? Or you? He even threatened my sisters and my friends at school. I have to do something to end this. I can't let him hurt anyone else."

Shinji frowned, thinking. "That's the thing that bothers me. Yagi told you that he could do that attack at any time. He told you he could do it again. He proved to you that he could attack someone from the inside without touching them. But that's what's bothering me. If he can do that, if he has that kind of power, why does he need underlings? Why did he come here in the first place with a team if he could attack anyone he wished from a distance? It doesn't make any sense."

"He said he needed to speak with me."

"So he came all the way here? I suppose he did so to prove to you that he was a force to be reckoned with. He had to show you that he meant business and give you a reason to take him seriously. He wanted to scare you. But..." Shinji's eyes fell to the floor and stared as he thought aloud. "What if it was just that? What if he did that to scare you into listening to him?"

"You're saying him putting Linnette in intensive care was just for show? She's dying in there!"

"That's not what I'm saying. I know he's dangerous. I just told you that." Shinji lifted his gaze to look at Ichigo. "I'm saying that maybe that technique of his was a one-time deal. Just showing you it once to make you think that he could do it again, just as he said he could. But if he could do that, then why not use it to take us all out? Clearly they want us dead. The Quincy I fought told us so. Why use it once and then run off? It doesn't make sense to me. I think there's more here than we're seeing. More than he's telling you, that's for sure. I don't think you can trust him."

"I don't trust him either."

"And yet you're going there alone."

"I told you why I was," Ichigo said. "On the off chance that he can fix Linnette and prevent him from using that power on anyone else."

"We don't know if that was just an idle threat. Maybe he just told you that to make you think that he could."

"I'm not going to take that chance."

"Fine," Shinji told him. "I get that. What I'm worried about is that this Yagi guy could be appealing to your protective and kindhearted nature. He could be taking advantage of that part of you to manipulate you into doing exactly what he wants. He's luring you to him by using Linnette's condition and his threats as bait. I'm just telling you that we don't know much about this guy or his powers. We need more information before we do anything rash. And you want to charge in without a plan. It's reckless."

"I gave you my reasons, alright? I can't just sit here while they get worse and worse. And what if Yagi was telling the truth and he goes after Rukia or someone else? He gave me a way out. He told me to come to him. He didn't drag me away. He didn't kill me. There's more to this and I know that. I get it. What I'm saying is that-"

"That you want to protect your friends and you don't think that he'll kill you if you go there." Shinji nodded. "You might be right about that. Like I said, it doesn't make sense. However, a lot of what this guy's doing doesn't. There are too many questions and too many uncertainties."

Ichigo was wasting time. He had to go. Too many lives hung in the balance. All it took was him going to Yagi. It could all end with him. That was the only reason Ichigo was willing to comply with Yagi's wishes. Ichigo hated being used like this. He would think of a plan on the way. For now his main concern was getting there before it was too late.

"I can't stop you, Ichigo."

He looked into Shinji's eyes. He had a disapproving look on his face but his eyes told Ichigo that inside he knew that there was nothing he could do and expected this from him.

"I gave you my reasons and told you my concerns. Even if I told you to stay, I know you won't listen. And I've known you long enough to know that once your mind is set on something, you're going to see it through. If someone's life is in danger, it doesn't matter who it is, you're going to do everything you can to help them. And I like that about you." Shinji lowered his head slightly. "So if that's what you want to do, I can't stop you."

Ichigo nodded his head. "Yeah. Thanks, Shinji."

"I won't tell anyone where you're going. I know you don't want anyone following you, which they would if they knew where you were going." Shinji started to turn away, then paused. "Just... be careful, Ichigo."

Ichigo nodded and turned down the hall. He wasted enough time debating with himself. He wasted time talking with Shinji, though he did bring up a lot of good points. Ichigo had to hurry before Yagi struck again. Even if he didn't make a move, Ichigo had to make sure Yagi cured Linnette. Once she got better, Victor and Cedric would regain their strength.

Stepping out into the sunlight of late afternoon, Ichigo realized just how much time was lost. Soon it would be sunset. After that, it would be dark, making it difficult to see the path. Yagi's directions were poor to say the least so Ichigo couldn't afford any setbacks. He had to get moving.

He kept his head down and tried not to call any attention to himself. He moved quickly to the gate. It was excellent timing because more Soul Reapers were coming in at the same time Ichigo wanted to leave. With so many people coming and going, the giant at the gate couldn't be bothered with the details and opened the gate as quickly as he could. Ichigo slipped out just as the crowd was coming in. No one seemed to notice him. He moved quickly, making sure he kept out of sight as much as possible. As soon as the gate closed, the gatekeeper looked away, surveying the area. He didn't notice Ichigo at all.

The sky had turned a deep blue and his shadow was getting longer on the ground. Even the air was beginning to cool slightly. He had to get moving. Ichigo looked behind him at the tall white walls and then at the road before him leading into the nearest village. He remembered where he was when he fought Yagi. He remembered facing this direction. He turned slightly to his right. This was where he needed to head first.

This was for them. He had to keep them safe. He had to stop Yagi. Even if that meant going in alone and accepting all the risks. He had to take a chance.

Taking a deep breath, Ichigo took his first steps onto the path and headed one o'clock exactly from where he stood, more determined than he was afraid.

* * *

What will happen next? Who thinks this will end in Ichigo's favor?

Please review! Pretty please! ^-^


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter: 10**

The sun was setting quickly. It was already twilight. Soon it would be completely dark. Ichigo had to hurry if he wanted to make it by then. He had been moving constantly for the past few hours. At least it felt like hours. He couldn't tell. When he first started, he was running. Now that he had been traveling a while and taken most of the Quincy's directions, he slowed his pace to make sure he didn't overlook anything that might have been important. He had a feeling he was growing nearer to his destination. He was in a rocky area where Yagi said Ichigo would find them.

Ichigo had never been to this part of the Soul Society before. The wind-carved boulders seemed to grow out of the earth like trees, confusing his way and disrupting his balance. There was grass growing but most of the land was taken up by rocks that he barely took notice of it. His aching feet fought the uneven ground as he climbed upward. The uneven earth was part of a hill which grew steeper in certain areas. After a while, it became hard to tell what was earth and what was stone. He could no longer tell if he was climbing a hill or a boulder.

He took no breaks, intent on his movements and his self-appointed mission. He had to reach their hideout soon. Wiping sweat from his brow, he climbed between rocks and stopped, taking in the sight of a large stone. It looked almost like a cave, only the stone was by itself and didn't make contact with a hill or any risen earth. This must have been it. It had to be.

Ichigo stepped forward and observed the enormous boulder from different angles. He checked to make sure no one was hiding in a crevice and that there were no hidden traps he could trip. When all seemed safe, he moved toward the opening. It was narrow and he was just able to fit inside. Looking down, he spotted a staircase leading down into a chamber underground. He didn't want to enter a place he would likely be trapped, but he had no choice.

During the entire way here, Ichigo tried to think of a plan, as Shinji encouraged him to do. Ichigo wasn't going to surrender. Of course not. He would get Yagi to cure Linnette and then he would battle him again and win. Now that he was here it all seemed like wishful thinking. How would he get Yagi to give up the cure? What if he went back on his word? What if he fought Yagi too early and he refused to comply with Ichigo's wishes? In addition to those worries, Ichigo was also concerned about what Shinji had pointed out about not knowing much about the enemy. Ichigo knew Yagi wanted him alive, but for what purpose? None of this made any sense. Ichigo had to figure something out quickly.

Thankfully, he did come up with a plan. Whether it would work or not was still unclear.

At the bottom of the stairs, Ichigo walked into a wide open chamber. There were torches on the wall and uneven masses on the walls that formed natural seats. Yagi was sitting on one of them.

Ichigo growled inwardly, his body getting ready for a fight. He had to remain calm, no matter how much he wanted to give in to these urges and attack him.

Ichigo took a step forward. The sole of his foot landed on something hard and round, like a jagged marble. He went stumbling into the wall. There were rocks on the floor, no doubt tracked in from outside. He pulled himself off the wall and carefully made his way into the chamber.

"Welcome, Ichigo. I see you found us ok." Yagi's voice was an irritating as ever. "Stop there."

Ichigo stopped.

"Lay your weapon on the floor," Yagi instructed.

Ichigo's hand went to his sword. "Not very trusting, are you?"

"Can you blame me?" Yagi asked him casually. "Lay your weapon on the floor and move away from it."

Ichigo started to remove his sword, slowly. Before it left his hand completely, he eyed Yagi suspiciously, noticing how he wasn't doing the same. He had no way of knowing if Yagi was armed or not. Being a Quincy, he could hide his weapons very well. Ichigo knew this having known Uryu.

"I'm unarmed," Yagi told him. Maybe he could read minds. "Lower your weapon slowly and drop it on the floor."

Against his better judgment, Ichigo did as he was told. His sword made a small ringing sound as he placed it on the stone floor which was so much louder in this spacious room underground. He stood up and, stepping over his sword, stood before Yagi.

"Thank you, Ichigo."

Ichigo returned his warm words with a glare.

"I'm glad you've come."

"You didn't give me much of a choice," said Ichigo. "I only came here so you wouldn't attack anymore of my friends. Now that I'm here, cure Linnette."

"So you did come here for her."

"I came for all of them."

Yagi chuckled. "You are every bit as kindhearted as I thought. So noble."

"Cure her now." Ichigo wasn't in a gaming mood. Clearly time wasn't an issue for Yagi. There wasn't much left for Linnette. Ichigo needed Yagi to cure her now otherwise she would die.

"She'll last a few more minutes. I wanted to speak with you first, Ichigo."

"I only came here for my friends, not to hear you talk. I'll listen to you after everything is fixed."

Yagi chuckled again. "You don't even know why you're here. Do you, Ichigo? I thought it would be obvious."

Yagi wasn't going to do what Ichigo wanted and there was no way he could force him to. Ichigo was forced to wait until Yagi was good and ready. Ichigo didn't care why Yagi called him here though he was a bit curious. Maybe Yagi would get a move on if Ichigo listened to him chat for a bit. As long as he was here, Rukia and the others would be safe. He only had to hurry for Linnette's sake.

"So you really haven't a clue. Then let me explain it to you." Yagi pointed to Ichigo. "You are strong. That's a given. But how strong you are is to be determined. I prefer to measure your strength by the way others value you. What I mean by that is that anyone can be called strong. But you... You were valuable enough to the Soul Reapers that they went out of their way to restore your powers when they were lost. That speaks volumes to me. I don't think they did it out of the kindness of their hearts. I believe it was a strategic move on their part. You are the equivalent to a weapon in their eyes, Ichigo. They restored your powers because they needed your strength."

Yagi knowing such things wasn't very surprising to Ichigo. Yagi had already said he had done his reach. If he knew where his sisters lived and their names, knowing details of his history didn't come as a shock.

All the while Yagi spoke, Ichigo's eyes never stopped moving around the room. He was looking for any place the enemy could hide. He was looking for weapons and traps, too. He doubted that Yagi would lure him here and have it not be a trap. He agreed with everything Shinji said. There was a reason why Yagi wanted him here alone and it wasn't to chat. He didn't trust Yagi at all. He was up to something.

The only way in and out of this large room besides the way he came in was through the wooden door behind Yagi. Surely the other Quincies were behind it. Including the one with the mirror. Those Soul Reapers wouldn't recover until that mirror was either smashed or the Quincy released whatever spell he had them under. Ichigo's main objectives right now were to get Linnette cured and handle the man with the mirror.

"Clearly that makes you a threat, Ichigo. The fact that the Soul Reapers relay on you so heavily means that you are even stronger than they are. I've done my research. You've even battled a few of those Captains and won. Commendable. Truly something to be proud of. Even after all that fuss they went through because of you and your friends, they still welcomed you with open arms. Anyone else would have been killed. I think it's because they wanted to use your power. They were impressed."

"It's also on account of Aizen and everything that happened with him," pointed out Ichigo.

"True, but that still wouldn't have stopped them from throwing the book at you. It's a complicated situation. I think it's because they were impressed and wanted you to come over to their side so they could use your power for themselves. Don't you see? They're using you as a weapon."

Ichigo clenched his fists. "I've heard that line before. But I don't care what you think. They're still my friends. They've helped me out when they didn't have to."

"Only to gain your trust. They don't give a damn about you. And besides, if anything happened to you, there goes their weapon. You see, Ichigo? They're only protecting you because they need you, not because they like you. It's a similar love to a Soul Reaper loving their sword. I understand that some love their sword very deeply so they're crushed when it's broken, but seriously. It's just a weapon. An object. I suppose such an example is wasted on a Soul Reaper like you. You're highly emotional as it is. Now that I think about it, it is a rather poor example. So never mind."

Ichigo kept his fists clenched. Was Yagi actually suggesting that his friends saw him as nothing more than an object? That he was like a dog who needed to be trained? All this time, everything good they had ever done for him was nothing more than reinforcement for his behavior and how he saw them? Maybe that line would work on someone else but not on him. Ichigo knew in his heart that wasn't true. Even if it was, that wouldn't change anything. He still respected them and saw them as friends. Even if they only did him kindnesses to get something from him in return, he was still grateful to them. He was stronger because of them. Even if they didn't care about him, he could use this power to protect those who did.

"Do you think I am heartless, Ichigo?" Yagi asked him.

It seemed like a loaded question so Ichigo didn't answer.

"I do things the smart way. Emotions get in the way and prevent you from making a good decision. Of course I still have feelings. Everyone does to some extent. It's just that I don't let them get in the way of what needs to be done. For example, if my relative were to try and kill me, would I kill them in order to save myself? Of course I would. Relative or not, they're trying to kill me. I can't let that happen."

"Are you also the type to use a relative as a shield to protect yourself?" Ichigo asked him, still glaring.

"Naturally." Yagi almost seemed proud to admit it. "I've done it before. I hide behind others all the time. I want to live. Even a fool would admit that. I'm alive to this day because I've done that. I use others all the time. I gain their trust and their love and then use it in any way I see fit. People are slaves to their emotions. It isn't rational. Because you love someone, you are willing to put yourself at risk in order to protect them. It's foolish. I mean, you're here for that very reason. Because you care about these people, you're here with me. That's risky."

Shinji himself said that it was a huge risk and a foolish thing to do, but he also admitted that that sort of thing is what made Ichigo strong. Stupid or brave, it didn't matter. Ichigo didn't mind doing something impulsive if it meant saving someone's life. It was worth the risk. He couldn't stand seeing someone in danger if he could do something about it. Even if it meant putting his own life at risk.

"The most basic of human instinct is to stay alive. Even animals know this. To go against it would be illogical. Think of it this way... If the house was on fire and someone was inside but the building was about to collapse, what would you do? A smart person would remain outside where it was safe. A foolish person heeding their own emotions would enter that house and most likely die when the place collapsed on them, killing the two of you. Now which is better? The clear choice is to stay put and let the house burn. Why risk yourself?"

This was taking too long. Ichigo had to get this back on track.

"Why risk yourself when chances are you'll die? It's that sort of foolishness that got my parents killed when I was a child."

Ichigo held his tongue. He gave Yagi a look, urging him to continue.

"I never expected you to know. You don't do research like I do." Yagi sighed. "When I was young, there was a Hollow attack. A whole swarm of them converged on our home. I wasn't old enough to use my Quincy powers properly yet. My mother was a Quincy and so was my father only he didn't have his powers anymore. The house was overrun. In the few moments we had left, my parents shoved me out through a trap door and locked it so I couldn't come back. Not that I would anyway. I ran for it. They were killed."

Ichigo swallowed. His fists were still clenched, though he was no longer angry.

"What I don't understand is why they didn't escape with me. Why stay behind? Looking back, I suppose it's because the more who tried to flee in that manner would be spotted. Still, why me? The smart thing to do in that case would be to leave me behind and escape themselves."

"It's because they love you," Ichigo told him. "They wanted to protect you."

"Which is foolish. They're dead. They could have lived." Yagi's face darkened. "They also could have lived if those Soul Reapers had shown up like they were supposed to when we were in danger. Or better yet, we might have been able to fight our way out if that damn Soul Reaper hadn't taken my father's powers away. We weren't strong enough."

Was that why Yagi hated Soul Reapers? Was this whole attack based on revenge? Yagi's parents were killed because Soul Reapers didn't come to help them. They were outmatched because a Soul Reaper had taken his father's Quincy powers. How and why did that happen? Why were his powers taken?

Something was wrong. Ichigo looked down at his hands. He wasn't angry like he was a minute ago, yet his hands were still clenched. He couldn't unclench his hands. Ichigo tried to relax them but they remained as fists no matter what he did.

"Even with the Soul Reapers out of the picture, the fact of the matter is that they could have lived if they made a smart choice." Yagi no longer had that dark look on his face. His face had changed back to its usual smug if not slightly bored expression. "I lived and they died. It was a foolish choice on their part. I've come across situations like that myself and I always chose to live. I never made foolish sacrifices like they did. And I'm still here. I get to live and continue with what I want to do because I never had an emotional decision. I was smart. I'm still smart."

Ichigo's face was starting to hurt. Unable to unclench his fists, he felt his cheeks with his knuckles. It was as if someone had stretched his skin back, forcing him to grin widely. Even his forehead was in pain. His legs, too.

"I was smart enough to know you would come with a plan, Ichigo. Based on my research, I know you would choose to fight me on your own in order to prevent your friends from suffering at my hands in the future. I also know that even if you kept me alive, you would attack the rest of my group. You want to stop us. Even with your sword on the ground, you can still throw punches. And let's face facts, you can easily pick up your sword and swing at me in a matter of seconds. Even less. And as I've told you I am unarmed. As I promised."

Ichigo couldn't move his legs. They were completely stiff. His arms felt like they were in a vice. When he looked at them, he saw them flexing unwillingly. It was his muscles. They were tightening and seizing and there was nothing he could do about it.

"I know you're smart, Ichigo. I never took you for a fool. You're foolish in that you're heeding your emotions and making poor choices as a result. But other than that, you are not a fool. I know you were coming here to fight me. I know you never trusted me. But I'm smart, too. Which is why I left that trap for you at the door."

Ichigo tried to turn his head to look at Yagi, but couldn't. His body was frozen. His entire body was contorted and still as stone.

"It was on the door frame you stumbled into."

Ichigo's eyes widened in horror. When he stepped on that rock, he fell into the door frame. That was the trap.

Yagi chuckled. "You've noticed by now of course." Yagi walked over to Ichigo and roughly pushed his head back. Only since Ichigo's body couldn't move, the action caused Ichigo's whole body to tip over and fall to the hard floor with a loud thud. He couldn't even brace himself so the fall hurt even more. "I just needed to kill some time until it kicked in."

Of course. That's what Yagi was doing this whole time. He was stalling. He needed time for this to take effect; whatever it was.

"You like it?" Yagi asked, bending down to get closer to Ichigo on the floor. "I created it myself. It effects the basil ganglia. Are you familiar with that? It's a part of the brain that's responsible for muscle control. My serum damages the basil ganglia so that all the muscles in the body tighten causing paralysis. In extreme cases, it can even cause the lungs to stop. But don't worry. It's not that bad. Not the dose you got, at least. It's temporary. You'll be fine when it wears of in two minutes. It's really quick."

Not quick enough. Not only was it hard to breathe, but Ichigo wanted to rip this man apart.

"I wanted you to be awake for this, but I can't have you attacking me and risk you damaging this." Yagi pulled something out from inside his coat and held it in front of Ichigo's face. It was a syringe filled with a foul green liquid. "Do you know what this is? I'll give you a hint. It's the origin of those Hollows that have been popping up recently."

Ichigo tried answering him but his voice wasn't working. Not even a grunt could form. All he could do was breathe rapidly to show his disdain and rage.

"That's right. It's the serum I've been using to experiment on all those people. Victor's serum. We all owe him our thanks, don't we, Ichigo? If he had never invented it, I would have never had my jumping off point. Of course, I did modify it a bit. Since you already have a cure and all. I had to make it more potent. Even change a few things around a bit." Yagi poked Ichigo's forehead with his pinky finger. "Do you know why? Go on, guess."

Ichigo didn't know what his face looked like right now but he really wanted to be scowling. As soon as this wore off, he was going to kill him.

"No? Then I'll tell you." Yagi waved the syringe in front of Ichigo's nose. "It's for you."

Ichigo gasped, inhaling sharply. He wanted to back as far away from that as he could but his body wasn't budging.

"That's right. All the trial and error, everything I've gone through with this serum to make it what it is now, all for you. I've always intended to use it on you. That was my reason all along. You see, you're a weapon of the Soul Reapers. You're powerful and so, so strong. Something they can be proud of. They feel safe having you around." Yagi lowered his face to whisper into Ichigo's ear. "Imagine how they'll feel when you go on a rampage and start attacking them? The very people you're sworn to protect, being slaughtered in droves by your hands. Rukia, Renji, and all the others. You're going to kill them all."

Ichigo would never do such a thing. Even when his Hollow got out of control, he always managed to pull back just before things got any worse. He came close to killing Uryu once, but he never finished the job. He could resist it. He was stronger now and could fight it better than before. But this serum took will power out of the equation. No matter what, once that serum was inside his body, he would go on a killing spree and would be unable to stop himself. Even if he wanted to.

"It's so strong now, Ichigo. As strong as you are, it's stronger." Yagi took the syringe away and uncapped it. He held it over Ichigo's neck, needle down.

No matter how hard he tried, Ichigo couldn't will himself to move. He was completely helpless.

"Oh. And another thing before you disappear and the monster takes over..." Yagi leaned down to whisper to him again. "That girl, Linnette, was never going to die. The technique I used on her is only supposed to bring her to the brink of death if she gets medical treatment. As long as she was seen by a doctor, she would survive. If she was left unattended, of course she would have died, but I know you people would never let that happen so she was never in any real danger. She would be close to death for two days and then recover. I designed it that way. Just enough to get people worried."

Ichigo was beside himself with shock. Linnette was never going to die? Just bring her close enough without going over? Did that mean that there was no cure either? Was it all a trap? Everything?

"I do have a cure that makes it clear up in less than an hour, but I was never going to give it to you. I keep it for my own Quincy posse." Yagi chuckled at his own attempt at a joke. "Oh, and my threat to your friends... All a bluff. I can only use that move once on a person in a day. I just had to make the threat seem real. The move also causes me great pain so I only use it in extreme cases. As far as using it on Soul Reapers is concerned, they would survive it without coming as close to death as she did. It's meant for a human body since they're weaker. Put frankly, your friends were never in any real danger."

This was all for nothing. Ichigo never needed to come here in the first place. Linnette was never going to die and his friends were never in danger. They needed him to come here in order to inject this serum into his body and turn him into a Hollow that was beyond even his control.

But why wait and do it here? Why not there when Yagi threatened Linnette?

"I had to lure you here, Ichigo," said Yagi. "If I had done it there, no doubt your friends would have helped you. Plus, I didn't want to risk them seeing me inject you. Then they would know something was going to happen. When I return you to them, I want them to be caught unawares. It will be a surprise attack. They'll never see it coming this way. Not to mention, since I told you to come alone, no one knows where we are except you. No one knows where you are either. No one is aware of anything. It's a perfect plan."

Ichigo felt sick to his stomach. He thought he was making the right call but he ended up making all the wrong choices. He, even knowing it was a trap, walked right into it. All to protect people who were never in danger. He could have avoided it all. Instead he was playing right into their hands. Now he was going to be used to attack his friends while Yagi watched from afar. That must have been his plan. Yagi even said that he couldn't understand people who put themselves into danger. If he did things this way, he would be far from danger but he would still get the job done. He wanted the Soul Reapers to die, and he was going to use Ichigo to do it.

"See what I mean about being foolish? Your emotional thinking led you to this. So don't blame me for what you're about to do to them."

Ichigo felt a sharp pain in his neck and a burning sensation entered his body. He couldn't even scream as his body started to boil and throb. He couldn't do anything.

* * *

Please review! ^-^


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter: 11**

An uneasiness spread throughout the sickbay like wildfire, effecting some more than others. Rukia couldn't stop herself from pacing and Renji, though claiming that he wasn't nervous at all, wouldn't stop tapping his foot. Victor and Cedric lay in two separate beds in the room beside Linnette's in a comatose state. Neither one had moved or said anything since Ichigo left them in Linnette's room. A few minutes later, after pouring their hearts out to the unconscious Linnette, closed their eyes and didn't open them again. Even when poked and prodded, neither one made a sound. Renji and some of the staff helped carry them out and into their own beds. Since then, nothing had changed.

"You don't think they'll die, do you?" Renji asked suddenly.

Rukia continued to pace. "How can you say that? Clearly we're all worried about that."

"Yeah, I know. That's why Ichigo was so upset. I haven't seen him in a while. You don't think he's off crying somewhere, do you?" When Rukia didn't answer him, Renji hung his head and sighed. "Sorry."

"We're all worried about them."

"It's weird, isn't it?" said Renji. "I mean, a couple years ago, they were our enemies and now look. We're actually worried about if they're going to live or die."

"They changed, Renji."

"I know. A lot of things have changed." Renji looked out the window at the rising sun. "Things changed when Ichigo showed up, too."

Ichigo's arrival was a good thing. It was a positive change Rukia was grateful for. She was happy she met him, despite the stress and issues. Everyone was better off knowing him. Especially the two laying in bed behind her. Ichigo helped them. Linnette, Victor and Cedric had changed for the better because of him. They were better because of him.

"Rukia, look!" Renji was out of his seat and standing over Victor's bed.

Victor's eyes were starting to open.

Rukia came rushing over. Cedric's eyes were beginning to open as well. They were recovering. "Victor, Cedric, are you alright?"

Cedric turned his head to look at her. "I think so." He tried to sit up but Renji stopped him.

"Easy. You shouldn't get up just yet. Chill."

While Renji was trying to stop Cedric, Victor sat up on the bed. He looked out the window and then at Rukia. "The sun's in the wrong position. Shouldn't it be nightfall in a few hours, not sunrise?"

"You were unconscious," said Renji, still trying and failing to keep Cedric in bed. "It's morning."

"That can't be." Victor looked very confused and worried. "How could so much time have passed? It felt like only an hour has gone by when last we spoke."

"Like I said. You were unconscious. Will you stay in that damn bed?!"

"But... we don't sleep. Ever." Victor looked shocked and confused and even a little frightened. Was the idea really that terrifying to him? "So the reason why we're missing time... is because we weren't conscious?"

"Yes," answered Rukia. "Your bodies must have gotten too weak for you to remain conscious. You were unresponsive for hours."

"That's what it's like to sleep?" To someone who never slept, Victor's confusion and fear was understandable. "If that's what it's like then I'm glad we don't sleep. That wasn't pleasant at all. To be unaware in darkness for hours and not know how much time has passed... That's awful."

"Usually people dream when they're asleep," Rukia pointed out. "Didn't you experience anything like that? See anything?"

"No. One moment we're with Linnette and the next we're here. Just a period of darkness between."

"So you don't dream? At all?" That was bizarre. Perhaps instead of actually losing consciousness, Victor and Cedric were simply too weak to respond to anything. Even their own bodies being unaware of what was happening around them thus making it impossible for them to know where they were and how much time had passed. Rukia still had a hard time figuring them out but the idea that two people who normally never slept and it was perfectly natural for them not to, to suddenly lose consciousness which was unnatural for them and not dream since their state was unnatural to begin with made sense. Rukia couldn't expect two people who were incapable to sleeping to suddenly be able to and experience everything that went with it. If they couldn't sleep naturally, then by that same token they wouldn't be able to dream.

"Whatever. It's pleasant for me," said Renji. "What I don't get is why they suddenly recovered. Do you think something happened to the girl?"

Renji's plan to keep Cedric failed once again when he suddenly stood up to leave the room, no doubt trying to check on Linnette. Renji kept his arms wrapped around Cedric's chest, trying to force him back into bed. Apparently back to full strength, Cedric easily walked to the door, dragging Renji with him.

"Linnette," Victor gasped and stood up to follow his brother. He didn't wobble or even stumble as he got out of bed and went over to the door as Rukia expected him to. Victor's recovery was miraculous. She also couldn't rule out Vcitor's sheer determination to see her at all cost.

* * *

When Linnette opened her eyes she found herself laying in bed staring at a white ceiling. She had an IV in her arm but other than that she seemed perfectly fine. As she tried to figure out where she was, she spotted someone standing at the foot of her bed.

"You're ok!" Hanataro jumped wearing a big smile on his face. "Oh! That's great! We were all so worried about you. How are you feeling?"

Linnette looked at the IV in her arm. "This itches."

"We'll remove that soon. Other than that, how are you doing? Still weak? Tired? Do you feel sick?"

Linnette tried to assess her condition. "I'm hungry."

"But you're not in any discomfort?"

"Other than those problems, no."

Hanataro was so relieved he collapsed at the foot of her bed, flopping his upper body onto the mattress. "Oh, good! I'm so glad to hear that. When your situation-"

The door opened and Cedric came in wearing Renji around his waist. His face broke into a wide smile when he saw her sitting up in bed. "Linnette!" He came over dragging Renji behind him. "You're awake. How are you feeling? Are you in any pain?"

"No. Hanataro just asked me. I'm ok."

"She's fine! Now get out!" Renji wedged himself between the two and tried pushing Cedric out of the room from the front since pulling from behind wasn't working. "Move your big ass. Go!"

Cedric wasn't leaving. No matter how hard Renji pushed and shoved, he wouldn't budge. He was staying right here by her side.

Moments later, Victor emerged from the doorway and came over to her bed and asked her all the same questions Cedric asked. Both were so happy to see her alive and well.

"When I told Captain Unohana about Linnette's injury being like a type of poison, she decided to treat it like one. Before long, Linnette's condition improved." Hanataro started blushing. "The Captain even praised me for the idea, saying we should treat it as something else. She said I did a good job. Otherwise, Linnette might have taken even longer to recover. But It wasn't all my idea. Ichigo called it a poison so that got me thinking..."

"Where is Ichigo, anyway?" Linnette started looking around for him. Everyone else was here but him.

Rukia and Renji looked at each other. "We haven't seen him for a while."

"Maybe he's resting," suggested Cedric. "He was very worried about you."

"Well, I want him to see that I'm ok. When you find him can you tell him that I'm ok?"

"Will do." Rukia walked to the door. "Come on, Renji."

"Why do I have to-"

"Come here."

Renji stopped trying to keep the family separated and followed Rukia out of the room. "What?"

"Something's not right."

"What isn't?"

"Ichigo's been gone too long. It's dawn for crying out loud. Even if he was upset, he wouldn't be sulking this long."

"Maybe he's taking a nap somewhere. I mean, he was gone all night. The guy needs his rest, you know."

"Renji, do you really think that?"

Renji didn't answer her. Deep down he knew there was a problem. Ichigo shouldn't have been gone this long. Even if he was resting somewhere, Renji had a feeling that Ichigo would be unable to do so for long. Not if he was worried about someone close to death. Renji knew Rukia was right. Ichigo was missing for too long. Given the situation, it was obvious that something was very wrong.

"Let me see if anyone's seen him." Rukia started down the hall.

"I'll ask around, too." Renji went down a different hallway. "Damn, I hope Ichigo's ok. Something's not right here."

* * *

Deep underground, Yagi paced the cold stone and dirt halls of his hidden labyrinth. His work space wasn't as big as he would have liked it but it would have to make do for now. At least until he could acquire a better one. This one smelled like wet dirt and stone. It was very stuffy and dank.

At the end of the hall, he came to the door he wanted and peered inside through the tiny glass window. The reinforced glass was thick, making it difficult to see inside, but he could just make out the dark outline of Ichigo Kurosaki who was face down inside. He wasn't moving. Even after the paralysis had worn off, Ichigo was still unable to move. Yagi assumed that at some point, the Hollow serum had caused Ichigo to lose consciousness, but he couldn't be sure. It was entirely possible that Ichigo was simply in too much pain to move. Either that or he was motionless because he was using all this strength to suppress the serum that was slowly taking over his body and mind.

Yagi smiled, watching Ichigo through the tiny window. He couldn't wait to see the results of his latest experiment. He was quite proud of this one.

"Leader, sir."

Yagi turned his head to find Sharif standing beside him. "Yes?"

"You wanted to see me, sir?"

"Right." Yagi gestured to the window with his chin. "Ichigo is inside. I've given him the serum."

"Ah. So your plan to use him to attack his friends is in motion. Wonderful, sir. You must be pleased."

"I should be. But..." Yagi sighed. "I'm not satisfied."

"Why not, sir?"

"It would seem that Ichigo is not responding well to the serum. He hasn't moved since he was placed inside."

Sharif looked through the window. "You suppose he's dead, sir?"

"Would you be willing to go in and check?" Yagi suggested.

Eager to please, Sharif agreed to the offer and walked inside when Yagi opened the door. Yagi knew how loyal Sharif was and was relaying on his devotion for this next little experiment.

When Sharif stepped inside, he took note of the odd smell. It smelled like the inside of a silo. There were even patches of straw on the ground near the walls. Sharif had no idea how they got here or even why they were here. He never questioned anything Yagi did, trusting in his leader's genius. So far Yagi had made all the right decisions. They had made it as far as they did because of him. Yagi even had them doing odd things from time to time, so the presence of straw in an underground room didn't stand out as odd to him so he never thought to question it.

The rest of the floor was made of stone. There was nothing soft in this room at all. It was more like a dungeon than anything. Since Ichigo was their prisoner, it was only fitting that the room resemble a dungeon. There were no windows either. Not that there would be in an underground prison. Ichigo was sealed away in a tomb.

Tomb was an accurate word for it. From the look of things, Ichigo was dead. He wasn't moving an inch and he didn't make a sound.

As Sharif moved closer, he realized that Ichigo was actually alive. Sharif cautiously put a hand on Ichigo's forehead. He was burning up. Sharif's hand was moist when he took it away. Ichigo was sweating, too. Sharif wiped his hand off on his pants and looked over his shoulder at Yagi.

"He's still alive, sir."

"Check him more closely. I want details of his condition," Yagi told him.

"Yes, sir." Sharif took a closer look at Ichigo's condition.

Rolling Ichigo onto his back, Sharif gasped in shock discovering his hands had transformed into a pair of white claws. The left side of his face was also covered by a white Hollow mask. Ichigo was being transformed into a Hollow thanks to the serum. Sharif was surprised it was taking so long. The people they experimented on before changed within the first half hour of being injected. Some only took five minutes to change completely into a Hollow. Ichigo was taking much longer for some reason.

"Sir, he's showing signs of change. His transformation is taking a while, though."

"Keep an eye on him. The change should happen more quickly once it begins."

"Yes, sir. But, if I may ask, how will we get him outside?" Sharif thought it would have been a great plan to inject Ichigo with the serum then release him outside and have him make his way back to his friends while his body shifted into Hollow form. Instead Yagi took Ichigo to this cellar and kept him isolated for a long time. It seemed like this would make things more difficult. Now they had the task of luring Ichigo back outside.

"He'll find his way. I simply want to watch his progress and note any changes we find. It would be troublesome if we release him and the serum didn't work. Then he would return to his friends, tell them everything and the plan would be all for naught."

"Yes, sir. I understand." Sharif thought he understood Yagi's brilliance. It made perfect sense when Yagi said it.

Then Sharif noticed the room darkening. It wasn't the room. He was cast in shadow. Sharif turned around and saw Ichigo standing over him, half Hollowfied. Sharif stood up to try and be at the same height as him. Ichigo stood just a bit taller than him. Ichigo was horribly disfigured, the transformation taking its time. Ichigo stood lopsided, half his face and only one leg transformed and both arms. Ichigo's hair had grown longer and had horns growing out of his head and was sporting a long tail behind himself.

Ichigo's eyes were unfocused and seemed to be staring at anything they happened to fall on. Soon, that became Sharif. Ichigo's eyes slowly started to come into focus, though they were far different from his own normal brown eyes. These ones were dark and sinister. Sharif's imaged seemed to have finally registered because Ichigo started growling.

Sharif took a step back. Taking it as a challenge, Ichigo roared and stood tall. Ichigo's roar in the windowless room was so loud, it shook Sharif down to his core. He felt his body shake from the sheer force if his voice. Unwilling to take him on and knowing they needed Ichigo alive for the next step of the plan, Sharif turned and ran for the door.

Barely taking a step, Sharif heard his only exit slam shut and lock with a grim clack. Sharif's body continued to move, hoping to reach the door in time even though Sharif himself knew it was too late. His body slammed into the closed door and tried to force it open with both hands. It was locked up tight.

"Sir! Sir, please! Open the door!" Ichigo was far behind him. There was enough time for Yagi to open the door and let him out and be able to seal it up again before Ichigo could escape.

Yagi's face appeared in the tiny window. "Sorry, Sharif."

Sharif's heart sank at those words. His lower lip trembled with fear. He couldn't even speak but Yagi understood what he was asking.

"It's nothing personal, Sharif," he told him. "But after crunching the numbers, I realized that you are the biggest hazard I have. As loyal as you are, I'm afraid the other you isn't so skilled or loyal. A simple blow to the head changes you into someone who's completely incompetent. I can't have that."

"But... but sir, I..."

"It's strictly a strategic move, you understand. It's nothing personal. And besides, I needed to test Ichigo's power. I have to make sure he's able to do the tasks I require of him. This was the only way to do that. Just a test. Another experiment. I had to test it."

Sharif was just another experiment? He was being used to test Ichigo's killing capabilities? Surely there was another way. He was willing to help Yagi in any way that he could, but not like this. He wasn't willing to die like this just so Yagi could see how violent Ichigo was and his willingness to kill.

"Wait! Yagi, sir, please!" Sharif pounded the door with his fist. "Don't do this! There must be another way to test this. You don't have to kill me!"

"Actually, I do." Yagi gave Sharif a bittersweet smile, as if he was sorry he was doing this but at the same time glad that he was. "You're a hazard. The weakest link in the group. Your skills are astounding and I've praised you for it... But none of that matters if you aren't able to use it. That alternate persona of yours gets in the way. It's as simple as that. So you're the most likely choice for this. I hope you understand."

Sharif beat the window with his fist. "Please! Don't! Don't do this! Please!" Sharif was begging for his life. "Please, sir! Please!"

Yagi's face came close to the window. "Like I said. It's not personal. At least not with this one."

Sharif felt sick. His heart dropped into his stomach.

"It's not you. It's the other one. But since you're both attached to the same body, I really have no other choice. At least take pride in knowing that you helped with the test of my latest experiment. Farewell, my dear Sharif. You will be missed."

Yagi turned and walked away.

Sharif beat the door with both fists, screaming at the top of his lungs. "Come back! Please! Please! Don't do this! Please!" Sharif felt Ichigo at his back. "Sir! Please! Leader!Yagi! Yagi, please! Let me out! Don't leave me here! Not like this! Please! Please! Plea-"

When Yagi looked back at the bolted up door, there was silence. The last thing he saw of Sharif was his blood smeared across the window of the door he just locked.

* * *

Everything was quiet in the hallway. It had been that way for some time now. Yagi was certain that Ichigo had finished Sharif off and possibly devoured him. He expected to hear roars but Ichigo had become quiet once again. Yagi didn't bother checking on him. He didn't care enough to do so. If Ichigo was quiet that was fine by him.

"Sharif dead?"

Yagi didn't turn his head to answer. He knew who it was. "Most likely. Or horribly mangled. Either way is fine with me."

Zalya went to stand beside his cousin. "You just fed him to Ichigo? Just like that without a thought?"

"Why not? I gave my reasons."

Zalya studied Yagi's face for any signs of remorse. There were none. "You feel nothing? Just killing him like that? What a way to go."

"I crunched the numbers and concluded that he would have hindered us as he was. That second personality of his is incompetent."

"Yeah, but even if it is, the real Sharif is more than capable. No one more loyal than him. So even if he does change in the middle of a battle, we still have him and he'll come back at some point. It's not like he's really gone. But killing him... Incompetent or not, at least we would have him at some point. Dead, he's gone. Now we're short one person. Two if you count the other him."

Yagi scoffed. "I did consider that, but I stand by my decision. Even if we are short by one, it's better than the alternative. The other personality would have gotten in the way. They are attached. It makes him a hazard. Let's not forget it's any blow to the head. It doesn't even have to knock him out. Just a punch to the face will be enough. That poses an issue in battle. It's too easy for the other him to come out."

"That's why he keeps his distance. And besides, his strength comes from staying away. He's awesome at long distances, baby."

"I've told you time and again not to call me that."

Zalya sighed. "I know. Sorry. It slipped." Then a horrible thought entered his mind. "You're not going to feed me to Ichigo, too, are you?"

Yagi smirked. "We'll see how things plan out."

Zalya gulped. Cousin or not, he knew Yagi would kill him if he stepped out of line. He both respected and feared Yagi.

"We should get ready." Yagi turned away, preparing to leave. "Let's get Ichigo out of his cage. I think it's about time to set things in motion."

Zalya was a little nervous. "Wouldn't it have made more sense to do this to Ichigo when he was outside? Getting him out when he's in this state is going to be a real pain."

"I wanted to make sure it was working. I needed him in a controlled environment. And besides..." Yagi turned to smile at his cousin. "It made killing Sharif a lot easier."

It wasn't spur of the moment. Yagi had planned this. He intended to kill Sharif all along. His most loyal and dedicated follower. Not to mention one of the strongest.

Zalya hoped Yagi knew what he was doing and wasn't just trying to put fear into their hearts and prove what he was capable of.

* * *

Victor and Cedric never left Linnette's side after she woke up. They only stepped aside when the members of Squad 4 came to check on her condition. The good news was that she was completely healed. They checked every hour just to be sure. With no changes and everything back to normal, they were confident that Linnette was fully restored to the way she was before. Even though she was fully recovered, they still advised her to rest in bed for a while. Victor and Cedric agreed and told her to do the same.

The Soul Reapers were very kind to her. Ukitake came to visit her and Hanataro kept her company as well. Hisagi even stopped by with some food for her after hearing that she was doing much better. Though he wasn't one of her normal visitors, he still showed concern for her and wished her well.

After a breakfast of pork and egg rice balls and some juice, Linnette started to get restless. Rukia and Renji had yet to return with Ichigo. In fact, when she saw them pass by in the hallway, they both looked worried. Linnette was getting worried, too. She knew something was wrong.

When she tried to leave the bed to ask one of them what was going on, Cedric stopped her. "I'll ask them," he told her and stood up to carry out his promise.

Linnette got back into bed and waited.

By this time, most of her visitors had left, leaving just Victor by her side. Linnette looked out the window at the mid-morning sky and wondered what was happening. She knew everyone had things to do after the battle, but what she didn't understand was where Ichigo had run off to. It didn't make any sense to her. She knew something was wrong.

Cedric returned with Rukia. Neither of them looked pleased.

"We can't find Ichigo anywhere," said Rukia. "We've searched and no one has seen him since last night when he stormed off. We have no idea where he is."

No wonder she looked worried. Ichigo was missing.

"We have to find him." Linnette knew something was wrong. This wasn't Ichigo hiding because he needed space. He had disappeared. It was totally different.

"They've been looking, Linnette," Cedric told her. "No one can find him."

"Something's wrong. We have to find him."

Rukia knew Linnette was right. It wasn't needless worry. There was a problem. "I'll keep checking. Don't worry. We'll find him." She tried to act like there was nothing to worry about for Linnette's sake but she knew Linnette wasn't stupid. There was no point in trying to hide that everyone was worried.

"Psst! Rukia!" Renji was trying to get around Cedric's large body to speak with her. "Rukia!"

"Yeah?"

"I just talked to Shinji. He said that he spoke to Ichigo late night. He was the last one Ichigo spoke to before he ran off."

"Yeah? Yeah?"

"When I asked Shinji what was going on, he said he couldn't tell me. He said what they spoke about was just between them."

Rukia took offense to that. Shinji couldn't keep secrets in this kind of situation. If he was the last person to speak with Ichigo, then he might have known his whereabouts. They had to find out what he knew.

Renji stopped her. "I already tried. He's not talking." Renji knew Rukia was going to question him herself. "Besides, he's locked up in his office right now. He's not seeing anyone. Says he's got a lot of paperwork to do. Which is a complete load if you ask me. I think he's just hiding in there to avoid us asking him about it."

Shinji was a smart guy. He could read people pretty well and knew the proper steps to take. He wasn't easily fooled. Even if she went to his office and told him she wasn't going to ask him about Ichigo, Shinji would know that was a lie. He would suspect she would beat around the bush in an attempt to get him to spill all that he knew without him knowing he was doing it. He would know her intention before she would be able to come up with a good enough plan. Shinji was the type of person to stay two steps ahead of everyone else.

Rukia sighed in defeat. No matter what plan she came up with, she knew Shinji wasn't going to fall for it. One wrong move and he would hide somewhere no one would be able to find him in order to avoid being questioned. They couldn't make a move. Not without him being aware of what they were doing. It was like trying to sneak up on a bird and have it not fly away.

"He's not going to answer us. His lips are sealed."

"What if I ask him?" asked Linnette.

Renji rolled his eyes. "If he's not going to answer us, then he's not going to answer you. No offense."

"Not him. The other Shinji."

Rukia gave a tiny gasp, realizing what Linnette was saying. "You mean ask his Hollow?"

Linnette nodded. "They are connected. Whatever Shinji knows, his Hollow will also know. And his Hollow will be willing to answer any question I ask."

"Yeah, small problem," said Renji. "Shinji's avoiding you just like the others with Hollow powers. If he so much as sees you, he's going to run for the hills. Not to mention the fact that he's locked himself in his office and won't let anyone in."

"There has to be another way," said Linnette. "To speak with him and have him not know who he's talking to until it's too late. Like calling someone on the phone. All I have to do is talk to him and that will be enough. If he picks up a phone then he won't know who's on the other end until they start talking. He won't see me and there's no need to get into the office."

It was a good plan. Rukia was getting excited. "Shinji has a phone in his office. We can do that. We just need to get you connected to his office." Rukia was more than willing to help Linnette. Anything to find out what happened to Ichigo.

* * *

Keeping a promise was always difficult. Keeping this one was just a huge pain. Shinji knew the right thing to do was tell someone what was happening but he chose not to. He knew he should tell someone where Ichigo was going but that would put more people in danger. They could be walking right into a trap. Then again, so was Ichigo.

Shinji had to give him the benefit of the doubt. This was Ichigo's decision. If Shinji took it upon himself to do something other than what they agreed on, he would be risking more than just Ichigo's life. Any number of things could happen if he chose to tell where Ichigo was going and what he was palling. Some things that came to mind included Rukia and the others going after him and getting ambushed by the enemy. Another option included the possibility that things were going well on Ichigo's end and upon seeing his friends show up, the enemy assumes that they've been betrayed and attack. They could have also been waiting for a rescue team to be sent out and then attack when a group with many strong Soul Reapers head out, leaving the Seireitei vulnerable. There were a number of possibilities. Shinji also didn't see the point in telling anyone since he himself had no idea where Ichigo was going. Ichigo never told him directions. Just a destination.

Shinji slammed a file down on the pile. "That idiot never thinks things through. Does he even have a plan? Winging it's not going to cut it." Shinji was worried about him and having to keep this secret wasn't easing his stress.

The phone on his desk rang. He barely used it since the usage of phones wasn't very common since they had other means like using hell butterflies. Hearing it ring now was a welcomed distraction. He hoped good news was on the other end.

He picked up the phone and put it to his ear. "Yeah, hello?"

"I'd like to speak with the other Shinji, please."

He didn't recognize the female voice on the other end. Everyone sounded slightly different over the phone but usually he could place them anyway.

What this girl said barely registered in his mind. Usually he was a quick thinker, but as soon as the girl started speaking, everything started to slow down. His brain felt fuzzy and he was getting lightheaded. By the end of her sentence, the room had become dark and he felt himself slipping gently away. It was almost like falling asleep.

Shinji started to smirk. "It's been a long time since I've heard that voice," he said in a slow hissing drawl. "Ah, it brings back sweet memories. Long time, no listen, kitten."

"I need to ask Shinji something but he won't answer," came Linnette's voice through the phone.

"Heh heh... He can be a bit stubborn, that pharaoh of mine. You'll find I'm much more compliant and better company. What do you need?"

"I need to know where Ichigo is. Shinji was the last person to speak with him and we know he's hiding what they talked about. So tell me."

"Of course." Shinji sat back in his seat and put his feet up on the desk, relaxing. "Seems Ichigo was really worried about what happened to you. The head Quincy gave him some sort of deal, saying that if Ichigo came to him he would hand over a cure. Ichigo said that he wasn't going to let you die. Or any of his other friends the guy threatened with the same move. He agreed to meet them. Alone."

"For me..?" Linnette's voice was quiet on the other end. The thought of Ichigo willingly going to the enemy for her sake was overwhelming. "Where?" Linnette's voice was stronger when she asked.

"Don't know. Just that he had to travel one o'clock from the direction he was facing when he was fighting the enemy who hurt you. Ichigo never gave an exact location. I think the lead Quincy gave him poor directions to begin with. Ichigo might not be back yet because he's lost or maybe because the enemy captured him. Who knows?"

"I see."

Hearing Linnette's quiet voice concerned Shinji's Hollow. "I didn't mean to upset you, kitten. My apologies."

"It's alright. Now I know where he went. Thanks. You can hang up and let Shinji take over again."

"Whatever you like, kitten." As soon as he hung up the phone, Shinji gave his head a shake. He looked around the room, confused. It felt as if he had just blacked out for a second. He remembered the phone ringing and after that nothing. "What the hell just happened?"

* * *

Linnette hung up the phone and Cedric let the Soul Reaper go. He had him in a headlock after he refused to give up the phone when Linnette asked politely. The Soul Reaper scrambled away in a panic, fearing Cedric might do something else to him.

"Well?" Rukia asked.

"Ichigo went to the hideout of the bad guys who attacked before. He said that the leader offered Ichigo a cure for what happened to me. He also went so you guys wouldn't get attacked with the same thing, too. He went to the enemy for us."

"That idiot," Rukia muttered under her breath. "Where?"

"He didn't know the exact location. Just that he had to head one o'clock from where he stood when he was fighting the Quincy."

"Great," said Renji, rolling his eyes. "That narrows it down."

"I know where that is," said Linnette. "I was standing behind Ichigo when he was fighting. I know the direction he was facing. We can go from there."

Cedric put a hand on Linnette's shoulder. "Are you sure you're up for this? Maybe you should rest a little longer."

"Then what about Ichigo? I'm going."

There was no point in trying to stop her. Even if he tried, she would just run off on her own. At least this way she would have a team who could help protect her. "Alright. We'll all go and find him. Together."

* * *

We got to see a little of Shinji's Hollow in this chapter. Don't worry. We'll see him again.

Please review! ^-^


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter: 12**

Since Linnette and the others were in the area of Ichigo's battle, it was a simple matter of retracing their steps to find out the direction he took. The gate opened to release them out into the vast land with endless possible paths Ichigo might have taken. Rukia asked the gatekeeper before they continued if he had seen Ichigo. According to the gatekeeper, he hadn't seen him leave and never opened the gate for him. He did assume, however, that Ichigo might have slipped out when he opened the gate for a group of Soul Reapers who returned at some point last night.

"That must have been when Ichigo sneaked off. He got lost in the crowd coming in," Rukia announced. It was the best explanation they could come up with.

The group set out to find him. Rukia and Renji took the lead while Victor and Cedric followed close behind with Linnette on Cedric's shoulders. They wandered in the proper direction, traveling in a straight line. An hour passed and then another. Linnette kept a look-out from her high perch but there was no sign of Ichigo. She was getting impatient. She hoped they would find him by now.

"Is there a faster way to find him?"

"Not really." Renji kicked a rock in his path. "We just have to keep looking and try sensing his Spirit Energy."

"I don't think I can do that," said Linnette.

"Then leave it to us."

It was a long run and no signs of the person they were searching for. Linnette had lost track of time. She wasn't sure how many hours had passed or how many minutes. Time meant nothing.

Rukia stopped and turned her body in the direction of a land of stone. Wind-carved rocks stood scattered across the land like mountains upon the land. Rukia put her hand on her sword, preparing to draw. She was sensing danger. Renji stood beside her and drew his weapon, not wasting a moment. Seeing their actions, Cedric lowered Linnette to the ground and stood in front of her protectively while Victor stood behind her to guard her back.

Something was coming from the rocks. Something large and menacing.

"Is that..?"

The creature was a Hollow. Large and dangerous. Its long orange hair was somewhat familiar. So were the tattered Soul Reaper garments clinging to its large white body.

"Ichigo?"

This was Ichigo's destructive Hollow form. This was Linnette's first time seeing him in this state. When she saw him begin to Hollowfy in the past, he didn't look like this. Rukia had seen the mask before when Ichigo used his Hollow powers in battle. This Hollow's face was a perfect match. This was Ichigo. Without a doubt.

"What the hell?" whispered Renji in disbelief. "What happened to him?"

Ichigo's head rotated towards them and stopped. He let out a growl.

"That's Ichigo?" Linnette asked, trying to peer around Cedric's body. "How'd he become a Hollow?"

"I bet those bastards did it to him." Renji raised his weapon. "Ichigo! Can you hear me? Stand down, now! We don't want to hurt you!"

Ichigo growled even louder at them, his eyes fixed on Renji.

"You hear me, Ichigo? We're here to help you. So just-"

In a flash, Ichigo pounced and slammed his fist into Renji's chest. The blow knocked Renji off his feet and into the air. Before he could hit the ground, Ichigo punched him again to keep him airborne.

"Ichigo!" Rukia cried. "Ichigo, stop!"

Ichigo grabbed Renji by the neck and dragged him through the dirt and slammed him against a rock. Snarling, Ichigo bashed Renji against the stone repeatedly. Blood sprayed the rock with each impact. To free himself, Renji swung his weapon and cut into Ichigo's arm. That only fueled Ichigo's wrath and he slammed Renji against the rock even harder.

"Stop it, Ichigo!" Rukia had to attack in order to keep Ichigo from killing Renji. "Bakudo-"

Ichigo picked Renji up and threw him into Rukia before she could finish. The two were sent flying backwards. Victor reached out to catch Rukia while no one bothered to grab Renji who rolled across the dirt and came to a stop flat on his back.

Ichigo turned to face them again and snarled, as if tempting them to fight him.

"You like?"

They looked up at the voice. The lead Quincy was standing on a rock behind Ichigo, smiling down at them as if they were guests to a party.

"I should thank you all," said Yagi. "This really wasn't possible without your help. Especially yours, Victor."

Victor frowned. "I don't know you. We've never met."

"True. But every action you've ever taken is on record. It's a pleasure to meet you face to face like this." Yagi bend forward in a mock bow. "If it weren't for your Hollow serum, I would have never been able to do this. Ichigo is the result of all my hard work, tweaking your serum to make it even more powerful than it already was."

"What?" Victor's face showed a rare moment of shock. He looked at the Hollowfied Ichigo and knew this was partly his doing. His serum to turn humans into Hollows had fallen into the wrong hands. It was used to turn Ichigo into what stood before them now. Victor frowned in disgust. Disgust at himself and at the enemy.

"You invented it. You should be proud. Even though you vowed not to use it ever again, the point is you made it. You're the creator." Yagi chuckled. "Oh, but I couldn't have done it without Mayuri's help as well. He was the one who put it on record. Kisuke as well. They both have a record of the serum and of the cure, just in case anything happened. If they hadn't filed the information away, I would never have known where to begin. So I have to thank both of you. You, Victor, for creating it. And them for writing it down."

They were horrified. Victor kept the information in his head and never wrote any of it down so it would never fall into the wrong hands. Mayuri and Kisuke were the ones who analyzed it so they could come up with a cure, which meant they had the information on record. The serum and the cure were written down and kept filed away. Thanks to them.

The Quincy was right. They were all to be blamed. Victor for inventing it in the first place. Without him, there would be nothing to fall into the wrong hands. But if Mayuri and Kisuke hadn't written down the serum and the cure in detail, no one would have even known what it was. It wouldn't have mattered if Victor was the creator because he was the only one with access to the information. Because of them, now more people knew and they could look it up. If it weren't for them, the enemy wouldn't have known where to look or how to get the information. They were all at fault to different extents.

"Was this your plan?" Rukia asked. "To turn Ichigo into a Hollow so he would attack us?"

Yagi shrugged. "Perhaps. Plus, this way he'll be out of my hair."

"Some plan." Renji got to his feet wiping the blood from his chin. "Linnette has the ability to control Hollows. You just turned Ichigo into a Hollow. He won't be a threat to anyone with her around."

That was true. Linnette would be able to tame Ichigo. Surely this Quincy knew that. Or was he hoping that Linnette would die from her injuries and be unable to help get him back under control?

"Go on," Renji coaxed her. "Get Ichigo back on our side. Serum or no serum, he's a Hollow and she can control him."

Linnette stepped forward, Victor and Cedric standing close by to assist if needed. "Ichigo? It's me." Linnette stood in front of him with her arms close to her body. "It's ok. I'm here. It's alright."

Ichigo didn't recognize her. He only saw her as a target. He started to growl.

Speaking to him wasn't enough. She would have to sing to get him under control. She started to hum a tune. He snarled. When she started singing, he roared. Linnette flinched, stopping her song. Ichigo roared angrily at her and swung his arm to hit her. Cedric pulled her back just in time. Ichigo's claws just missed her chest by less than an inch.

Now Ichigo was even more worked up than before. He kept roaring and bared his teeth at them all, itching for a fight.

"I don't get it," Linnette whimpered. "It should have worked."

"Did you do it right?" Renji asked her.

Yagi was laughing from his perch.

"What's so funny?" Renji demanded.

"I knew she was going to try that. Sure, a part of me was hoping she would have died back there from the injury I inflected, but another part was planning on her survival." Yagi gestured to Ichigo. "I've done my research on everything you've been doing. I'm well aware of the fact that she can control Hollows. I know that full well. However, I noticed that about two years ago you had a run-in with some giant Hollows in the Seireitei that she could not control. Even an Arrancar who couldn't be calmed by her voice. So that got me wondering why that was. And I figured it out. It's so simple. Her voice works on Hollows but only Hollows. Those of a lesser class. She can't control ones of a higher class, such as Arrancars. Or in Ichigo's case, Vasto Lordes."

"What?"

"That's right. Ichigo's too advanced for her to control now. He's evolved beyond where her voice can reach. She can't tame him. Her voice simply won't work on a Hollow of his class."

Of course. Linnette did have trouble controlling certain Hollows and no one understood why. Some assumed it was because the Hollow was tone-deaf, but now they knew the real answer. They were too powerful for her to handle. Her voice only worked on lower class Hollows.

To Arrancars, her voice must have sounded like anti-music to them. Which explained why Ichigo became violent rather than calming at her song. Where other Hollows found her voice soothing, high level Hollows found it to be the equivalent to screaming in their ear.

"So Linnette can't calm him down?" Renji asked, turning to face Rukia.

"Looks that way." They needed a new plan. Using Linnette for this mission was pointless now. She wasn't going to be of much use here if her voice was ineffective on Ichigo. "So you planned it this way? Why? What's your goal?" Rukia asked Yagi.

"My goal?" Yagi snickered. "I've already explained it to Ichigo before injecting him with this new serum. I suppose I'll explain it again. Put simply, I want to eliminate Soul Reapers and destroy the Seireitei. I feel that Quincies can do a finer job ruling than you. We'll do things our way. But in order for us to take over, we must first get rid of you. That is our goal. That is what we want."

"So you changed Ichigo into a Hollow so he won't be able to fight back and so he'll attack us?"

Yagi nodded. "Yes. I saw him as a threat. I know he can take us down, so I had to stop him. Plus, I did plan on using him to kill two birds with one stone. Not only will he no longer be a threat to me in this state, but he will become a threat to you. Linnette's voice cannot calm him. He is beyond control. And I know being such good friends and all, you won't have it in your hearts to kill him. Especially since he is powerful enough to stop us. And since you won't kill him, he can kill you without hesitation. He gets to do the work for me. He'll eliminate you. All of you."

"That's brilliant."

All eyes fell on Victor. "Don't praise him!" snapped Renji.

"But it is an excellent plan. It's a no-win situation," said Victor. "Put simply, as he stated, unless we kill Ichigo, he will kill us. He won't be able to stop himself from killing Soul Reapers, which is what the enemy wants. The destruction of Soul Reapers. The more he kills, they less fuss they have to go through. However, if we kill Ichigo before that can happen, not only will we be losing a friend which we don't want to do, we will also be losing the only person who may stand against the enemy. That Quincy himself just said that he saw Ichigo as a threat and knew he could take them down. One way or another, the enemy will get their way. Either Soul Reapers will die, which is what he wants, or Ichigo will die, which is also what he wants."

Yagi clapped his hands together. "You are a smart man. I expected no less from the one who could come up with such an ingenious serum." Yagi sneered at him. "Oh. Speaking of which, there's something else I forgot to mention. Remember how I said that I made some changes to the serum? It's more powerful now. But that's not all."

"What do you mean?"

Yagi smiled wickedly at them. "The serum has been altered to put tremendous strain on Ichigo's body. It will kill him from the inside out. It's basically a toxic serum. He'll rampage, then the serum will finish him off. Either way, Ichigo is going to die. It's just a question of what's going to get to him first. You or the serum."

Rukia's hand shook as she grasped her sword. "You sick monster..!" she hissed through her teeth.

"Keep in mind, girl, that I alone hold the cure for Ichigo. Since I created the serum. I changed it to the point where the cure you already have has now become useless. You need me alive if you want any hope of sharing his life."

"We can't trust you," said Rukia. "You've already made your objectives clear. You want us dead. Ichigo, too. Why would you hand over a cure if it defeats your purpose? It makes no sense. You're just trying to save your hide."

Yagi shrugged again. "It doesn't matter. No matter what you think, it doesn't change the fact that I alone hold the key in saving him from a terrible fate. But that's up to you."

Rukia looked from Yagi to Ichigo. He wasn't attacking anyone and hadn't been for some time. It seemed he was waiting for them to come to him. That wouldn't last. She could tell that Ichigo wanted to fight. They didn't have much time to think.

There wasn't much to think about. Yagi gave them their options. Either kill Ichigo or have him kill them. Killing Ichigo was exactly what they wanted since he actually stood a chance against the enemy. Yagi just confessed that. Killing Ichigo was basically doing the work for them. Either way Ichigo was going to die. By their hands or by the serum. They didn't have a lot of options.

No matter what the situation, there was no way Rukia was going to let Ichigo die. Yagi just said that he had a cure. That meant that there was a way to reverse this. There was hope. If there really was a way to cure Ichigo, then all they had to do was find it. They already knew there was a way. What it came down to now was getting Yagi to give them the cure, which seemed unlikely, or find the cure for themselves. There must have been a way. If they could come up with a cure from the first time, then they could do it again.

"Seems he needs a bit of a push." Yagi summoned up his bow and fired an arrow past Ichigo's shoulder.

Startled, Ichigo roared and charged in for an attack. His sights were set on Rukia and the others.

Before turning to run, Renji shouted to Victor and Cedric. "Just grab the guy and we'll make him hand over the cure for Ichigo!"

Victor and Cedric hesitated. It wasn't because they didn't obey Renji, it was because they were afraid.

"What's wrong?"

"Isn't it obvious?" said Yagi from the safety of his stone perch. "They know I'm the one who attacked Linnette the last time and nearly killed her. If they so much as look at me funny, I'll do it again. I don't have to do anything. It will happen just by me desiring to do it. Sometimes, I don't even have to think about it. If they grab me, I will do it. No matter how fast they can move, no matter what happens, I can and will do it again. And the next time, I will kill her. I don't think they want to risk that." Yagi turned to the two men. "Do you?"

He was right. They didn't want to take that chance. No matter what they did, Linnette would be in danger and they would be helpless to protect her. Just like the last time. They couldn't attack. They couldn't do anything.

Ichigo took a wide swing at the group with his arm. Cedric grabbed Linnette and retreated to a safe distance. Rukia and Renji both jumped back as well. Victor stayed put and tried to catch Ichigo's arm with his bare hands. Victor wasn't injured, but the force of Ichigo's attack drove Victor's feet below the surface. It looked like Victor was sinking into the earth. Ichigo swatted at Victor from the front and freed him from the earth, sending him flying back to where the others had fled. Victor could see that battling against Ichigo wasn't going to be easy, even for someone like himself. Reasoning was impossible and restraining him was going to be just as difficult.

"Great," Renji grumbled. "What the hell are we supposed to do?"

"We can't hurt him," Linnette pleaded. She couldn't bear to see Ichigo get injured or even worse, killed.

"He's going to hurt us if we don't do something!"

Linnette clung to Cedric's arm, silently begging him to do something to save Ichigo. Cedric got her message and passed her off to Rukia.

"Take her." Cedric ran straight for Ichigo. Arms free, he used both of them to grab onto Ichigo's wrists and hold them in place.

Ichigo raged and roared. He couldn't move his arms so long as Cedric was holding them. However, doing so had left Cedric wide open. He was right in front of Ichigo with both arms occupied. Ichigo opened his mouth wide and unleashed a powerful cero straight at him.

"Cedric!"

He managed to get away in time but that meant releasing Ichigo. Now they were back to square one.

"Damn it." Renji drew his sword. "You're not giving us much of a choice, Ichigo! You hear me in there?"

He answered with a roar.

"Just run!" Rukia told the group.

"What good will that do? He's just going to follow us," pointed out Renji. "We have to stop him, don't we?"

"We have to get him away from Yagi first. Remember he's still watching us." Rukia looked behind Ichigo to the man standing atop a stone a safe distance away. From his current position, Yagi couldn't hear what they were saying. Rukia knew Ichigo wasn't the only threat nearby. They also had to worry about the Quincy. "If we can get far enough away, Yagi might not follow us. And since Ichigo won't stop attacking, it might give us enough time to think of something while we lure him away from Yagi."

"Shouldn't we keep an eye on Yagi?" asked Renji. "He might try to pull something once he's out of sight."

"One problem at a time. He's hanging around for a reason."

"Yeah!" said Renji. "To watch us get killed!"

"Maybe not. If he were that confident that Ichigo would kill us, he would have just run off the second he was unleashed. He's observing him. I think he knows something we don't so he's keeping an eye on Ichigo. If we can get the two of them apart, we might have a chance. In any case, we have to do something about Ichigo."

"If the man is still lurking around, he could be waiting until we have Ichigo restrained. Then he'll come and try to break Ichigo free so he can rampage again," said Victor. "That may be his plan. He wants to make sure Ichigo is free to attack. He doesn't want us to hold him back."

"That could be it."

"Incoming!" Renji jumped as Ichigo fired another cero at the group.

Ichigo ran forward, mouth agape.

"I'll try to freeze him in place." Rukia had to be careful not to cause Ichigo too much damage. He wasn't really their enemy. She had to freeze his body just enough so he wouldn't be killed.

Ice appeared, freezing Ichigo's feet to the ground. He roared and smashed the ice with his fists, freeing himself. He tried to attack again but Rukia used more ice to freeze every part of his body below the neck. At least Ichigo could breathe and his head was facing upward so he couldn't fire a cero at them or the ice.

The ice began to crack and split. With sheer force, Ichigo broke the ice with his limbs and set himself free again.

"This isn't working!" Renji yelled. He knew they had to hold back to keep from killing Ichigo, but by doing that their attacks weren't enough to do anything. They were just wasting energy. "The only way we have a chance is if we fight seriously. Otherwise, he's going to keep breaking through and come after us."

"If we do that we risk killing him."

"I know that, Rukia, but..."

Ichigo wasn't going to stop. He was on a rampage. It wasn't his fault. He wasn't doing this by choice. The Quincy was making him do this. He turned Ichigo into this.

"That's it, Ichigo," Yagi whispered as he watched. "Keep going. Kill them all. Then it's your turn once I'm through."

Ichigo beat the ground with his fists and screeched so loud it made the ground quake. He slashed and snapped and roared. The group tried to keep him confused by splitting up, but that didn't work. He went after a target on a whim. His only motive was to destroy. For the time being, Rukia was his target. He lashed out at her with his claws and snapped his teeth in her direction. When she got too close, Renji stepped in to protect her.

They continued like this for some time until Ichigo grew annoyed and slapped Renji aside with his claws. Even when Renji was on the ground and an easy target, Ichigo did not go after him. He pursued Rukia for no other reason than to attack the one no one would let him reach.

He stomped on her foot to keep her from getting away and stood over her, snarling. Rukia was like a fox in a trap. There was no way to escape unless she cut off her own foot. Or his. Ichigo's flesh was too thick and he could easily regenerate.

"Ichigo, no!" Rukia screamed at him. "Listen to me! Ichigo! Ichigo!"

For a moment, Ichigo paused. Then he started roaring again. This was different. This roar seemed pained.

Ichigo stepped off Rukia's foot and screeched to the sky.

His armor-like flesh started to chip and crack. It started to fall apart like an eggshell. As the Hollow's body began to break, Ichigo's Soul Reaper body came into view. He looked like a butterfly escaping from its cocoon. His Hollow form fell apart and shattered around his feet. The real Ichigo stood in front of them, semi-conscious but otherwise seemingly unharmed.

It was a huge relief to see Ichigo standing before them. It also raised a lot of questions.

Ichigo dropped to his knees.

Rukia went over to him. "Are you alright?"

Ichigo hunched over and vomited.

Rukia moved back to avoid it. Now she was concerned. She knew something wasn't right.

Yagi had said that he injected Ichigo with a serum that would turn him into a Hollow like the other people he had experimented on. However, those people couldn't change back. Even Mayuri had confirmed it. The fact that Ichigo had shed his Hollow form meant something. Something she couldn't begin to understand. She knew something was happening and it wasn't good.

"Is he ok?" Linnette asked from a distance. Cedric wouldn't let her get any closer.

"He's back to normal," said Renji. "I guess that drug thing was a failure after all.

Ichigo heaved and hacked up again.

"Renji, he's sick," said Rukia. "Something's wrong."

Renji grew concerned and bent down to take a look at his friend. He should have known better than to think it would all be resolved so easily.

"Ichigo, are you ok?" he asked him. "What's wrong?"

Ichigo heaved like a cat coughing up a hairball. He turned his head to the side to look at Renji. His lips glistened with saliva and snot. "I don't feel right... Ugh!" Ichigo curled into a ball, holding his stomach.

Rukia rubbed his back, trying to help. He moaned and cried out in pain. He fell to one side in a fetal position.

"It feels like something's shredding my insides..!" Ichigo grunted and moaned. He was in tremendous pain.

"This isn't over." Rukia knew something was happening to Ichigo. She knew it was impossible for him to be fixed that easily. The serum was still wrecking havoc on her friend, tearing him apart from the inside out. Just as Yagi had said. "It has to be the serum he was injected with. It's doing something else to him."

"That Yagi guy did say that it was a poison," said Renji.

Ichigo cried out in agony, unable to get relief. This was beyond feeling sick. This was much, much worse and he didn't know what it was. He had never felt anything like this before and he had been stabbed with swords multiple times. Nothing compared to this kind of pain.

"Oh, looks like you're hurting," came Yagi's voice.

Ichigo struggled to open his eyes and saw him standing nearby. The group faced him but no one attempted to get close.

"What's happening?" demanded Rukia. "What did you do to Ichigo?"

"It's as I said," Yagi explained. "The serum will kill Ichigo. Tear him apart from the inside out. It's only a matter of time. It could take hours or days. I haven't a clue." He looked down at Ichigo and smirked. "I should have taken into account your amazing ability to resist and have true inner strength. So resilient."

"What... did you do... to me?" Ichigo managed to choke out. He was in so much pain he could hardly speak.

"I supposed I should explain." Yagi looked at Ichigo when he spoke but he was addressing everyone there. "You see, Ichigo can suppress the Hollow he can become under normal circumstances. However, with this serum things are a little different. Usually, Ichigo can suppress the Hollow and regain control with little issue. However, this serum won't allow that. It's not something he can suppress. It's a forced Hollowfication. Even if he was able to change back for the moment, soon the Hollow will take over again. It's not a matter or willpower. That's just how it is. And the more Ichigo tries to fight it, the more strain he will put on his body."

"What are you saying?" asked Renji.

"Put simply, either Ichigo becomes a Hollow and doesn't try to resist the change, resulting in less strain on his body. Or he can try to combat the change and shorten his life. The more he resists, he more pain he goes through, the more strain his body goes under, which will only kill him faster. The more he fights back, the weaker he will become."

Ichigo was trying to remain himself so his friends wouldn't be in danger, but that was only killing him more quickly. If he became a Hollow, it would buy him more time to live, but his friends would be in danger. It came down to a choice of putting his friends at risk or shortening his life. It was a no-win situation. A situation, no doubt, Yagi had planned form the beginning.

"You son of a..." Renji had his weapon pointed at Yagi.

"Ah-ah-ah." Yagi wagged his finger at Renji's blade. "I alone hold the cure. And killing me won't save him. Not to mention how I have other powerful men at my disposal. You couldn't handle us before so what makes you think you can handle us now? Handle me? You know what I'm capable of. I don't even have to touch you."

Renji gripped his sword tightly but didn't swing. He knew Yagi was right. They couldn't handle the enemy when they first attacked and there were only four or five of them against everyone else. These men made the Soul Reapers look weak. It was insulting. Attacking Yagi wouldn't solve anything. He would only end up losing again and it wouldn't cure Ichigo. He would be just as sick if Yagi were living or dead. Having him alive gave them a chance. Though it was unlikely that Yagi would hand over the cure or be willing to fix everything himself, at least they would have the possibility. If Yagi were dead, they had no options. Yagi could also use the same attack he used on Linnette that nearly killed her. That was a warning shot. Yagi could probably do it again on all of them at once and no one would stand a chance. Renji didn't want to provoke him. It was best to stand down for now until they had a plan.

Ichigo writhed on the ground, holding his sides. The pain came in waves, some worse than others. He needed help.

Yagi stepped aside. "I see no reason to attack when I know Ichigo will do it for me." He smirked. "I did not come here to fight. Only to observe. I was surprised when Ichigo managed to suppress the transformation so I had to come closer to investigate. But it will only be harder to do from here."

Ichigo's vision was starting to blur from sweat and tears. He was in so much pain.

"You'll only get weaker from here, Ichigo. The more you fight it, the more you'll wear yourself out. Keep that in mind."

Yagi took one step back and vanished. He reappeared further away and flashed away again, leaving them.

There was no time to look for him. They had to take care of Ichigo first.

"We made a cure before, we can do it again. And after we have it, then we can hunt down that bastard Yagi and deliver some serious pain." Renji punched the palm of his hand, warming up his fists for a future fight.

"In the meantime, we have to help Ichigo." Rukia helped Ichigo into a sitting position only for him to slump over again, spitting onto the ground. He still felt like throwing up but nothing was coming out. "Mayuri's been studying what's been happening for some time now. He's our best bet at finding a cure for this."

"Then let's go to that creep's lab and get this done already." Renji was ready to run back. He was already moving, unable to wait.

Cedric bent down and lifted Ichigo into his arms, cradling him. Ichigo moaned, his eyes shut tight. Cedric could feel his body heat through their clothing. Ichigo was burning up. They had to hurry. Ichigo was only going to get worse from here.

Renji and Rukia led the way followed closely by Cedric carrying Ichigo and Victor carrying Linnette. Rukia slowed her pace to check on Ichigo. He was no longer crying out but he was still moaning.

Ichigo opened his eyes weakly to see where they were going. "Wait. No, stop. Cedric, stop. Please."

Cedric looked down at Ichigo. Honoring his request, Cedric stopped running. The others saw this and came over to ask why he had stopped. "Ichigo told me to."

Rukia leaned closer to Ichigo, knowing he wouldn't have asked them to stop unless there was a good reason.

His eyes were shut again and sweat was rolling from his brow. "Don't. Don't take me back there."

"We're trying to help you, you idiot," said Renji.

"No, he's right," said Rukia. "If we take Ichigo back to the Seireitei, he could Hollowfy again and rampage there. Then Soul Reapers will be in danger. And many of them are still recovering after the last attack. They're not prepared."

"You're right," agreed Renji. "Not to mention how Ichigo will only end up being attacked if he shows up as a Hollow. They don't know the situation. They're going to think he's a threat and attack... He is a threat, but that argument aside..."

Ichigo started to twist in Cedric's grasp, a massive wave of pain striking him. "I can feel it coming on..!" Ichigo said through his teeth. "You have to get away from me."

"And leave you? No way. We're not doing that."

Ichigo let out a scream and rolled out of Cedric's arms onto the ground. As he hunched over as if ready to vomit again, they saw the white form of his Hollow begin to take shape between his shoulder blades. His back was starting to Hollowfy. He couldn't resist it though that didn't stop him from trying.

"What are we supposed to do?" Renji wondered aloud.

"We have to get back to warn everyone of the situation," said Rukia. "We'll go to the Seireitei and explain the situation. We can get help."

"Are you nuts, Rukia?" said Renji. "If we tell them that, they're going to try to kill him."

"Not if we explain that there is a cure. We'll go to Squad 12 first and tell Mayuri to come up with a cure. He's been studying what's been happening for some time. He should be able to come up with something."

"Then what do we do about him?" Renji pointed at Ichigo on the ground.

"We can't take him back to the Seireitei. Not in this state. I know that's what Yagi was betting on from the start. He wanted us to bring Ichigo to the Seireitei so he could Hollowfy and kill as many Soul Reapers as he could. He wants Ichigo to do the work for him. He also considers Ichigo a threat so if we kill him to stop his rampage, we'll only be doing what Yagi wants. He wants Soul Reapers dead and Ichigo dead. No matter how you look at it, he's going to get his way. Either Ichigo kills us or we kill him."

Renji looked down at Ichigo with a sorrowful expression. Knowing what would happen was difficult to accept. Also seeing Ichigo in this state, hunched over on the ground like a wounded animal, was hard to watch. What Renji wouldn't give to drive his sword through Yagi's chest at that moment. "Damn him. He's put us in an impossible situation. What the hell are we supposed to do?"

"We might have to leave Ichigo here while we get help. We can't take him back. And out here, there are very few people. He's away from populated areas. But when he's on the move, no doubt he'll go to where there are people. Thankfully it will take him some time."

"We could leave these guys with him," suggested Renji. "They're strong enough. Linnette might be useless in this situation, but these two could hold him off. Keep him busy for a while. It's not like Ichigo can be reasoned with when he gets like that. Like Yagi said, he's too evolved, so Linnette's voice won't do anything but piss him off."

Ichigo fell onto his shoulder, holding his ribs. While they were talking, his transformation was progressing. His hands had become the clawed hands of a beast. His hair was also beginning to grow, falling around his shoulders and face, sticking to his sweaty flesh.

"I guess we have no choice," Renji sighed. "We have to warn the others. No one can get through to him so having Victor and Cedric fight him might be our only option. Just go easy on him so you don't kill him. Ready, Rukia? Let's get going."

"Wait."

Cedric was the one who spoke which had everyone turn to him in surprise.

"I have an idea. It might work."

Even his brother, Victor, looked surprised. Cedric was a quiet observer. That didn't mean he wasn't intelligent, but he rarely spoke his mind or came up with plans. That was Victor's job.

"What are you thinking?" Victor asked him, curious to know what his brother had come up with.

"I think you and Renji should return to the Seireitei and explain things. It's your serum Yagi is tampering with so you might be able to help do something about this. Renji knows the area well and I think having a Soul Reaper explain things would be better. The Soul Reapers might not listen to an outsider as well as they would their own kind. Having a Soul Reaper explain the situation might hold some merit."

"Point taken. And what of you?"

"I will be going with Rukia."

"Going?" Rukia repeated. "What do you mean? Aren't we staying with Ichigo?"

"I need you to take me some place. I can't get there on my own so I need your help."

"I'm going, too!" said Linnette. "If it will help Ichigo then I'm doing it."

"Are you sure? Staying with Victor might be more safe."

Linnette refused. "I'm going with Cedric and Rukia."

They couldn't go against her wishes so Linnette was in Cedric's care.

"So we're just going to leave Ichigo alone?" asked Renji. "Anyone else think that's a little foolish?"

"We don't have much of a choice and staying with him won't do anything. Anyone fighting him will be at risk. The best we can do is try to distract him but that's about it. And at this point, he's closer to the Quincy so he'll attack them before going on to other people, I think. And if we hurry, we can make it back before he gets too out of control."

There wasn't much they could do. They had to go with Cedric's idea.

Rukia bent down to Ichigo. "We're going to get help. Just hang tight, ok?"

Ichigo knew he would be alone but he didn't care at this point. Being isolated in the middle of nowhere while he suffered incredible pain certainly bothered him. He wanted to be close to people. However, he knew if they were with him, they would be in danger. He wanted them to leave him by himself. That way they would be safe.

"It's fine. Go." Ichigo managed a small smile, encouraging them to carry out their mission. He could hold out for a little bit longer.

"Let's hurry."

Ichigo watched them leave and shut his eyes, trying to will his body to no longer feel the pain. Maybe if he concentrated hard enough he could force it to subside. So far it wasn't working. It was getting more intense and his vision started to blur.

"So what exactly are we doing?" asked Renji as they ran back to the Seireitei. "Cedric, where are you going with Rukia? You never explained."

"I got the idea when Yagi said that Ichigo's Hollow form was too evolved. That was why Linnette's voice had no effect on him. Not in the usual way. There's only one other person I know who responded the same way Ichigo did when he heard Linnette's song."

* * *

:D Someone else is about to arrive! Wonder who that could be..?

Please review! ^-^


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter: 13**

Everyone made it back to the Seireitei and went straight to Squad 12's laboratory. Rukia remembered that Mayuri had a functioning portal leading to where they needed to go. Mayuri wanted to keep his private gateway to Hueco Mundo a secret, but right now they were in desperate need of it. Rukia promised not to tell anyone about it so long as Mayuri allowed them to use it.

Moving fast, the group split up in the lab. Renji and Victor stayed behind while Rukia, Linnette and Cedric used the portal to get to Hueco Mundo. There was little time. Thankfully Victor and Renji would be able to explain things in more details while the others went off in search of a friend.

Hueco Mundo was the barren wasteland Rukia remembered. A withered desert under an eternal night sky. Nothing but sand as far as the eye could see.

Linnette tried walking across it but her feet sank in the sand and her body pitched forward. The sand in her shoes was very uncomfortable and more than once she stopped to shake them out.

Pressed for time, Cedric lifted Linnette onto his shoulder and carried her from that point on.

"This is where Mayuri released him when he was set free," said Rukia. "But it's been almost two years since then. I doubt he would have stayed in the same place for that long. He could be anywhere by now. If he's still alive."

"He's alive," said Cedric. "He's strong."

"But Hueco Mundo is full of dangers. Another Hollow could have eaten him or something."

"He can handle himself," said Cedric calmly. "He gave you a run for your money, remember? I'm sure he's alive."

Rukia didn't know where Cedric's confidence came from. "Even if he is alive, how are we supposed to find him? Hueco Mundo is vast. We've sent teams out here before to document the area and map out the place and they only managed a fraction of the land. Some get lost or injured. It took them weeks to map out one section alone and that was only a couple miles. How are we supposed to find him?"

"We will."

"I'm just saying that those Soul Reapers had weeks to chart a few miles. He's had two years and he's not charting anything. Just wandering around. Plus, we're short on time. We can't be searching blindly for him when Ichigo is..." Rukia cut off there. She didn't want to say anymore in front of Linnette.

"We'll find him," said Cedric.

Being on top of Cedric's shoulders gave Linnette a better view of the desert. Unfortunately, it didn't offer much. Just endless sand. To be helpful, she kept an eye out for any signs of life or anything that could be useful.

Their search seemed to go on for hours. There was no way of knowing how much time had passed, but every second was precious. Rukia was starting to lose hope that they would ever find who they were looking for. Not that she had much hope to begin with. She didn't think Cedric fully understood just how vast this world could be. He had high hopes. Rukia thought he was being too simplistic.

If someone had two whole years to travel the world, how could they hope to find him in a single day? He could have been anywhere by now.

"I noticed there are some trees here that are nothing but sticks," said Linnette. "How can trees grow in the desert? Did this used to be a normal place with grass and stuff?"

"No idea," said Rukia. She was only half listening. She was too busy thinking about Ichigo's condition. She wondered if he was still himself or if he had changed into a Hollow. She wondered how long Ichigo had left.

Upon thinking such a thing, Rukia forced herself to focus on something else. She couldn't think like that. Ichigo would be fine. He was resilient. He was strong. She had to keep telling herself that. She had to believe he would survive.

"I see something!" Linnette pointed further ahead to a gathering of stones. "Is that something?" She hoped she wasn't wasting everyone's time by pointing out something useless that would cost them more time.

"Maybe," said Rukia. "I doubt he'll be out in the open so he must be someplace where there's shelter. Keep looking for things like that."

Linnette nodded and kept her eye out.

Rukia thought back to when they left Ichigo alone. She knew they had little choice but she didn't feel right about it. She wanted to go back. She couldn't leave him. Ichigo would never leave one of them. Although they didn't actually leave him. They were trying to get him help.

"I see something. It doesn't look like rocks. I don't know what it is."

Rukia looked to where Linnette was pointing. It was the crumbled remains of a building lost to the ages. It was in very poor shape and very little remained.

Upon closer examination, it looked like it was once part of a huge tower or some sort of palace. Large pieces of a wall stood like a massive block of Swiss cheese. A crumbling floor stood atop the sand, weathered by time but still firm. There were more fragments of stone in various places which functioned as tables and chairs if so desired. It seemed that was their new purpose. Some were even placed in a position that would suggest such a thing.

Rukia stepped around the ruins and as she did, her foot crunched on something buried in the sand. She dug it out with her toes and examined it. It was a discarded bag of chips. Hueco Mundo didn't have anything like this. This bag must have been here for two years. All these signs meant that someone was living here.

"Who is it?"

Rukia covered the bag with her foot and turned around. She could hear a voice but couldn't see the speaker.

"Who's there?"

Cedric helped support Linnette with his hand, preparing to pull her down to protect her if need be. Rukia stepped closer to them, making sure they stayed together.

"Who dares enter my domain?" said the voice, sounding vicious and authoritative.

The voice grew louder as the speaker got closer. Rocks from the ruins tumbled down, shaken free by the approaching ruler.

"You have a lot of nerve coming here," said the voice. A shadow began to appear and the speaker finally showed himself. "Prepare to witness the awesome power of the mighty..!"

Upon seeing the trespassers, the voice dropped its authoritative tone and switched to something akin to disappointment.

"Oh, it's you."

Rukia couldn't help but laugh. It wasn't just his attempt to act powerful and intimidating. It was the joy of seeing him after so long. "Hello, Veneno."

Hearing her speak his name, the Arrancar smiled and laughed back, happy to see her. "Long time, no see, Soul Reaper scum." Veneno hopped down from his perch and greeted Rukia warmly, despite the mild insult. He was still their friend. "How are you doing?"

"So this is where you're living?" Rukia asked looking at the demolished building.

"Hm? Oh. Yeah, I guess." Veneno looked back at his home. "I stumbled upon it a while ago and sort of took a liking to it. I've been other places, too. I travel. But this is a nice place to settle for a bit. There's a hidden passage under all this crap that leads to a bigger room. That's where I hang out. I can stay down there if there's trouble up here and no one can find me. It's pretty great."

"I'm so glad we found you," chirped Linnette. She wiggled on Cedric's shoulder, trying to get Veneno's attention.

"Oh," said Veneno, moving his brown hair aside, showing off his hidden mask above his right brow. "Hey, siren. And you're with the big guy. Never without one of them, are you? What's up, big guy?"

"My name is Cedric."

"Yeah, yeah. I don't know you enough to care." Veneno turned back to Rukia but he was looking past her head. He looked behind Cedric and to his left. Then he put his hands on Rukia's shoulders and moved her aside, searching behind her. "Where's your boyfriend?"

"Boyfriend?" Rukia stared at him.

"Ichigo," said Veneno. "Where is he? I figured with you here, he's gotta be here, too." Veneno cupped his hands around the side of his mouth and hollered into the desert and past the dunes. "Ichigo! Where you at?! Come on out!"

Rukia had to tell him but a part of her felt like it would be a terrible blow for Veneno. He was very close to Ichigo. Hearing what had become of him may result in something she wasn't prepared for. She hoped he would take the news professionally and not do something irrational.

"Listen, Veneno..."

"Ichigo! Hide-and-seek is over now! Get over here!"

"Veneno!" Rukia said sharply. When he looked at her, she lowered her voice and broke it to him gently. "Ichigo's not here."

Veneno looked disappointed. "He's not?" He sounded hurt. He knew Ichigo cared about him. There was no way he wouldn't be here unless there was a reason. "Why not? What happened? Is he alright?"

"He..." Rukia chose her words carefully. "He's in trouble. We're fighting an enemy right now who targeted Ichigo because he saw him as a threat. He turned Ichigo into a Hollow..."

Veneno responded as if Rukia had just told him that they were standing on sand. "So?"

For Veneno, being or becoming a Hollow wasn't a big deal. He was an Arrancar, after all. He was happy whenever a member of his own kind showed up. He already knew that Ichigo possessed Hollow powers so for Rukia to say something like this wasn't a big deal for him. He didn't see an issue.

What Rukia said next made Veneno take in more seriously.

"The enemy's name is Yagi. And he turned Ichigo into a Hollow by injected him with a drug that forces him to Hollowfy. He experimented on many people before using Ichigo as his next test subject."

Having been experimented on himself, Veneno had a sore spot when it came to hearing about other people who were experimented on as well. He sympathized with them and understood that pain. He had no mercy or tolerance for anyone who experimented on others. Hearing that Ichigo was also a victim of experimentation had Veneno out for blood. He wanted to find the person responsible and make them pay. Most of all, he wanted to be there for Ichigo and help his friend.

"Where is he?" Veneno asked. "Take me to Ichigo right now. I have to help him."

"Let us explain on the way," said Cedric. "We've taken too long as it is. Ichigo must be a Hollow by now."

"Why did you come all this way to find me?" asked Veneno. "Not that I have a problem with that. Just curious."

"Yagi said that Ichigo was too evolved for Linnette's voice to work on him. You're the only other one I know who isn't effect by Linnette's voice in the usual way. You and Ichigo both get upset instead of calm when you hear it. So I figured that if anyone would be able to reach Ichigo and get through to him, it's you."

"Me?" said Veneno. "Just because her voice doesn't work on us?"

"And you said that Ichigo was like your brother," said Cedric. "You two are close, aren't you? Maybe you can get through to him."

Veneno stared at Cedric. His eyes started to sparkle. Cedric recognized that they were close. Veneno had a bond with Ichigo. Knowing that they were friends, how they helped each other and how Ichigo was experimented on as well, spurred Veneno to do whatever possible to save Ichigo. He would be there for his friend no matter what.

Maybe he could get through to Ichigo after all.

"What better way to combat a Hollow than another Hollow?"

* * *

Ichigo opened his eyes and found himself on a cold, smooth surface. This wasn't the ground he was laying on a moment ago. He started to sit up, his body aching and stiff. He felt like he had been hit by a car. When he looked around, he saw sideways buildings and skyscrapers all around him and knew he was in his inner world.

"Did I pass out from the pain? Or maybe I Hollowfied again..."

"You're an idiot."

Ichigo knew that sinister voice anywhere. His Hollow self was speaking to him. Ichigo turned to face him, expecting a fight. What he saw was something he never expected.

His Hollow was standing in front of him but he wasn't itching for a fight. He looked sick.

"Are you ok?" Ichigo asked, concerned for his other half. He was truly worried about him.

"You're a complete and utter moron, King," he growled at him. "Look what you've done to us. To me."

"What I...?"

His Hollow gestured to the world around them. "Take a look around you, King! Look!"

Ichigo couldn't see anything amiss at first glance. His world looked pretty much the same.

Then he started to notice the buildings around them. Several of them had long cracks and were slowly chipping apart, pieces falling below. Windows were missing in places and the cracks caused part of the buildings to tilt to one side, dangerously close to falling over.

"If you weren't so stupid, this wouldn't be happening."

Ichigo looked back at his Hollow. "I don't get it. What's going on? Why is this happening?"

"It's that serum you were injected with. It's killing us from the inside out. Soon this will all disappear. And it's all your fault."

"My fault?"

"If you hadn't let that Quincy guy inject you, this wouldn't be happening."

"That wasn't my fault!" Ichigo shouted. "I couldn't move. That was not my fault! I fought like hell but he injected me anyway. What was I supposed to do?"

"Not let him do that."

"If I couldn't move..."

"You shouldn't have gone to him in the first place. Couldn't you see it was an obvious trap?"

"I did it to save Linnette!" Ichigo shouted. "I thought you of all people would understand that. Maybe even condone it."

His Hollow was silent. He lowered his head with a sigh. "Yeah. You're right. I would have done anything I could to save her."

Under her spell, his Hollow loved Linnette just as much as he loved himself. Maybe more. He cared deeply for her and wanted to protect her. She was the only one who could command him. If she was in danger, his Hollow would come to her rescue. Just like any other Hollow under her control.

He lifted his gaze to Ichigo, once again stern and angry. "But you could have done a better job. That Quincy put stuff on the wall that would cause you to be unable to move. If you hadn't touched that..."

"I lost my balance and put my hand out to catch myself. How was I to know? You didn't know either."

"You should have been able to protect Linnette. You allowed her to be put in danger. If she hadn't gotten hurt, you would have had no reason to go to that Quincy and get yourself into this mess."

"I-" Ichigo couldn't finish. His Hollow was right. If only he had done a better job of protecting Linnette, this wouldn't be happening. Ichigo blamed himself. He wasn't strong enough. He let this happen.

Another building toppled over and fell below.

"But they couldn't either," said Ichigo slowly. "Victor and Cedric couldn't protect her either. It's their job, not mine and even they couldn't do it. So it's not all my fault."

He wasn't trying to pass the blame off on someone else. He was trying to bring himself comfort. Maybe he did make a foolish decision to go find the Quincy but he had the best of intentions. He was trying to save her. To save all of them. Maybe he was trying to right a wrong, maybe he was just compassionate. Either way, he did something about it which led to this.

"What's done is done."

"Yeah," scoffed his Hollow. "Now you get to go after and kill those you tried so hard to protect. And in the meantime..." His Hollowed turned his rage on Ichigo. "I'm going through all this hell! Think before you act, you stupid idiot! Now I have to suffer your consequences!"

Ichigo saw a fist in his face and couldn't move away in time. He took the hit on his left cheek. It hurt but it wasn't as bad as he thought it would be. His father hit harder than that.

When he looked at his Hollow, he saw him panting heavily, trying to get enough strength for a second punch. He was winded after just one hit.

His Hollow self wasn't a threat. He was pathetic. Ichigo grew even more concerned.

"Are you ok?"

"Shut up!" His Hollow took another swing and missed, falling into Ichigo's chest. Ichigo helped support him. His Hollow pushed himself into a standing position, his body shaking. He didn't have the strength to throw another punch. It was all he could do to keep standing.

Ichigo looked him over, worried. Seeing his concerned gaze sent his Hollow into another rage and he snarled at him. He refused to have Ichigo support him any longer and stood on his own. He wobbled but remained standing.

"Hey..." Ichigo said gently. "Are you..?"

Unable to support his weight any longer, his Hollow's knees buckled and shook. His knees gave out and he went toppling to the ground. Ichigo threw out his arm to grab him but he was just out of reach. His Hollow landed in a sitting position then fell onto his back, sprawled out.

"You alright?"

"Do I look alright?"

Ichigo looked him over. His Hollow looked in even worse shape up close. At a distance he looked sick. He was even sicker inches away. His body was weak and he could no longer stand. Ichigo didn't know what to do. He had no idea what was happening.

"King..." he turned his head to look at Ichigo. "Don't look at me that way. You make me feel as pathetic as you."

"I don't get what's happening," said Ichigo. "Why are you..?"

"I told you a second ago. That serum is tearing us apart from the inside out. It's killing us. Don't you get it? Soon this world and everything in it will no longer exist."

"But..." Ichigo couldn't grasp what he meant. "But if I'm a Hollow, then you..."

"It's not me, King," he said. "This is a forced Hollowfication with an experimental drug. It's not natural. This isn't me. Even the Hollow you are now isn't really you. It's all artificial and forced. As a result, it's killing us. It's a poison. Not real Hollowfication. Do you get it now?"

Ichigo couldn't pretend that he did.

"That Quincy wanted to make sure you couldn't do a thing about it. He wants us both dead." He chuckled weakly. "We're just going to get weaker and weaker until there's nothing left. Sucks to be you, huh, King?"

Ichigo knew he wasn't feeling right, even in his inner world. The pain had followed him. It wasn't as horrendous, but he still felt weak and sore.

"I have to regain control."

"I told you it's not like that this time," said his Hollow. "It's not me and I'm not in control either. It's the drug he injected us with. I'm telling you. It's not the same. It's putting too much strain on your body. Neither of us will survive."

"I don't believe that," said Ichigo. "There has to be something I can do."

"By all means, try. But I doubt anything will happen. Even I don't have a say in what you do in your rampage. It's not me. It's what that Quincy made you."

Ichigo tried to wander away from his Hollow, searching aimlessly for answers or a way out. He had to take back control, but he knew his Hollow was telling the truth. This wasn't like the last time or any of the times before that. This wasn't his normal Hollowfication. Before long, his leg gave out and he fell. Ichigo didn't feel like himself. He felt weak and sick. His head was spinning and he couldn't concentrate.

"There has to be something I can do." Ichigo tried to come up with something. His mind was drawing a blank. His body was so weak he felt completely helpless. His feet felt heavy. He couldn't walk.

He thought he could will himself back into control but that wasn't working. It was just as his Hollow had said. This wasn't his normal Hollowfication. He knew it was different. It felt all wrong. It was killing him. His Hollow self was suffering and growing weaker. Ichigo himself could feel his body breaking apart from the inside out. The weakness, the pain... It was all a part of it.

He knew he wouldn't be able to regain control as he had done in the past. It may not even be possible. Though he had done it before, he knew it would be even harder to do again and maintain it for longer than a few minutes. If his body was getting weaker by the second, he would not have the strength to take back control. Even if he could, he would not be able to do it for long.

Another building collapsed behind him. What Ichigo wouldn't give to get out of here. His inner world now felt like a prison. "I have to do something."

* * *

The air grew thick and tense in the laboratory. The Garganta in Mayuri's private room was left open so the group could find their way back. To make sure no Hollows found their way through, a few members of Squad 12 were stationed in the room to close it if that happened. That was the easy part. Opening the Garganta again was the difficult part. Not without the Captain's help. Since it was his own creation, the device didn't function the same as a normal Garganta and was therefore harder to operate. So far, only Mayuri himself could do it.

When the air in the room changed, all eyes were on the portal leading to the land of Hollows. A group of people came bursting through and the Garganta closed behind them, shorting out. As it powered down, the people who had come through were cast in shadow, the light from the machine no longer there.

"You guys ok?"

Rukia stood up, brushing herself off. She was covered in sand but unharmed. She turned back to the others. Linnette was carefully position in Cedric's arms, also unharmed. Cedric had landed on bended knee, holding her close to his body.

"Get the hell off me!" Veneno cried from under Cedric's large body. Cedric's knee was in his spine, Veneno having landed face-down on the lab floor, Cedric using him as a living cushion.

Cedric stepped off without a word but he did pull Veneno to his feet with his other hand.

"It... it's him!" The lab technicians were staring at Veneno. "That's Mayuri's former experiment. The Arrancar Veneno."

Veneno looked at the men in white coats. He remembered working alongside them in the past but they weren't very close. As a result, he didn't engage them with friendly conversation. He just nodded in their direction.

"Where's the Captain?" asked Rukia. "We have to speak with Mayuri right away."

The men pointed down the hall. Rukia gave them a quick thanks and hurried off, the others close behind.

It wasn't hard to find him. They just had to follow the sound of his complaints and self-praised ranting. They found him in a larger laboratory with Victor standing nearby looking rather annoyed. He lit up when he saw Linnette and gave her a hug.

"Have your little reunion later," said Mayuri. "We have work to do. Akon!"

"You sent him off on an errand," said Victor.

"I expected him back by now."

"After twelve seconds?"

"For God's sakes, never mind. Nemu! Get over here!"

Rukia was nervous to approach but she had to get information. "How are you progressing with a cure?" she asked.

Victor answered for him. "Haven't even started."

"What?!" Rukia couldn't believe it. This was top priority. "Why not?"

"Because I've been too busy extracting data from the Hollow I captured from before but it holds nothing but useless information," said Mayuri. "If this Quincy was using them for trial and error, it means that any information I get from this Hollow will be obsolete. The serum he used has changed since then. Which, of course, means that the serum coursing through Kurosaki's veins is different from the current data I have."

"Which means we'll have to get the data he needs from Ichigo before we can begin," finished Victor.

"How are we supposed to do that? Lure him back to the lab and hope he doesn't kill anyone in the process?" said Rukia.

"Not necessarily," said Mayuri. "I just need a sample. If you bring him back in his current Hollowfied state, he'll wreck my lab. Can't have that. And I assume you want him alive. It would be too difficult and risky to contain him as he is. So all I need from you is to get a sample from him. Hair, blood, skin, a finger. It doesn't matter."

"That might be hard to do," said Cedric. "He's very destructive. We can't get near him without him attacking."

"Ah, but you don't have to worry about that," said Mayuri. "You and Victor can hold your own against him for a little while. Just restrain him long enough to get a sample and bring it back here. No issue."

"Not one you can see..."

"Well, I'm not the one going out there to risk my life, so there's really no issue for me."

As Mayuri turned, he finally took notice of the extra person they had in the lab. He gave a yellow grin and approached the familiar face.

"Veneno! It has been so long." He patted the Arrancar on the shoulder which he took coldly. "So have you finally come to your senses and decided to come back to my lab as a new test subject? I still have a container available for you. I have many follow-up experiments I would like to try."

"No thanks," said Veneno sternly. "I was granted freedom, therefore I am no longer your property."

He didn't have to listen to Mayuri anymore. He was no longer at his mercy. Veneno could refuse treatment and any experimentation he wanted.

Everyone watched Mayuri slink away, disappointed. "Can't have ownership or creative license over my own experiment... How am I supposed to further my studies and creations if the Head Captain keeps my hands tied?"

"Focus on a cure," said Rukia. They didn't have time to waste with Mayuri's antics or his curiosity. His love for experiments would have to be focused on curing Ichigo, not on his other whims.

"Get me the samples I require and we'll talk."

"Then let's go back to where we left Ichigo and go from there," said Rukia. "Hopefully Veneno will be able to reach Ichigo and get him to cooperate. If Ichigo has evolved past the point where Linnette's voice will have an effect on him, then our only choice is to hope another evolved Hollow can make a connection. Like Veneno. They've already bonded, so we may have a chance."

"I think it's wishful thinking but whatever gets me that sample," said Mayuri. "Hurry up."

* * *

Complete isolation. No one around for miles. Where was civilization? Where could he find people to rip apart? He had to sink his claws into something. The burning in his claws could only be cooled by fresh blood. Only blood could quench his thirst. He had to find someone. Anyone.

Sensing someone approaching, he turned toward the horizon. A group of people were heading his way.

"I knew it," Rukia said sadly. "He's changed again."

The group stopped and watched Ichigo carefully. He was fully Hollowfied but so far he wasn't attacking. He growled, challenging them. Whoever approached would be his target.

"Ichigo..." Veneno stared, mesmerized by his form. He had never seen Ichigo look like this before. It was a magnificent form but completely fake. Even he could tell that this wasn't true, willful Hollowfication. It was forced, brought on by a drug. The form itself was artificial. Normal Hollowfication wouldn't put so much stress on the body and it certainly wouldn't kill the Hollow. It was a natural form. This, on the other hand, was not the same. It was all wrong.

Rukia took notice of Veneno's reaction and felt sorry for him. She knew this wasn't the reunion he wanted. To see Ichigo in this state must have been painful to behold.

Veneno clenched his fists, trying to stop himself from shaking. He felt sorrow for Ichigo, but most of all he felt anger. Anger towards the person who did this to him. This wasn't natural Hollowfication. It was poison. It was causing Ichigo pain. It was killing him.

"It came from a bottle," Veneno said quietly. "It wasn't his choice. It wasn't natural. It was forced upon him. It's hurting him. Might as well try to make a human a machine by driving metal spikes through their body and let them bleed out." He was seething with rage.

Rukia wanted to comfort Veneno, seeing his pain, but said nothing.

A moment later, Veneno stepped forward. "Ichigo!"

The Hollow snarled at him, showing the inside of his mouth. So this would be his opponent.

Veneno stood in front of Ichigo with sad eyes. "My friend... My brother... What have they done to you?"

The Hollow did not attack. Instead it watched Veneno, letting out a continuous growl.

Rukia watched from where she stood with Cedric. Seeing this gave her hope. Maybe Veneno could get through to Ichigo. Maybe he could be reasoned with. Even Cedric was feeling confident in his own plan. He was thankful the idea had popped into his head. This could work after all.

Veneno scanned Ichigo with his eyes, the same sad expression on his face. "This isn't right. You didn't become a Hollow on your own. This isn't natural. This is forced. This is... This is wrong."

The Hollow wasn't showing any signs of hostility. It didn't seem like he would attack.

"I'm one to talk and I know..." Veneno went on. "I tried to turn people into Hollows, too, so I wouldn't be lonely. So I wouldn't be in danger. I was wrong. Not just on a moral standpoint, but overall. They weren't real Hollows and they weren't really my friends. I know that I can't force friendship on someone. It wouldn't be real. Same thing goes for becoming a Hollow."

Veneno reached up and touched Ichigo's mask.

"Look at you. You're in pain." Veneno's eyes sparkles with tears that wouldn't fall. It wasn't just from the sadness of seeing Ichigo in this way. It was also from him remembering his own pain.

He, too, was experimented on. To this day he couldn't stand the sight of needles and metal tables and test tubes made his stomach lurch. If he found himself behind glass in a close space, he would suffer panic attacks. He had nightmares about being sealed inside a glass jar with sharp needles jabbing him. Mayuri's yellow smile haunted him. Even when he was awake he could still hear his voice when he remembered his past. He would even feel pain and get the urge to vomit whenever he heard Mayuri say the word 'fascinating'. It wasn't the word itself that tortured him. It was Mayuri saying it.

Of course there was pain. Of course there was anger. When he heard Mayuri speak and step close to him, he would have the powerful urge to strike. Like an animal trapped in a corner, he would fight his way out and escape to safety. Thanks to Ichigo, he learn not to act on certain urges. He also learned to trust Soul Reapers. His anxiety had improved. He would never be rid of it all, but he had gotten better. He had even made friends with a few of the Soul Reapers. Even the ones in the lab he had grown to care for.

It was all thanks to Ichigo. He gave him a chance. He helped him in so many ways. He was grateful to him.

To see him in this state, knowing he was also a victim of painful experimentation, had Veneno seeing red. He felt rage. He felt sorrow. He felt the need to save him. He would help Ichigo and return the favor.

The Hollow standing in front of him now was not Ichigo.

"I want to help you. You know this isn't you. Right? So let me help you."

The Hollow had stopped growling.

"No more rampaging. Just stay calm and we'll help you. Don't worry. I won't let you die. You won't have to suffer anymore. We'll save you. We'll-"

The Hollow suddenly turned his head and tried to bite off Veneno's fingers. Veneno pulled away just in time, but Ichigo wasn't satisfied. He wanted blood. Seeing Veneno unharmed frustrated Ichigo and made him want to try again. He opened his mouth wide and snapped his jaws.

Veneno flashed away and reappeared near Rukia and Cedric.

"I thought you were getting through to him," said Rukia. "It looked like it was working."

Veneno shook his head. "No. It wasn't. Even I can't reach him." Veneno's face looked pained. "Maybe if he were a real Hollow... But like this..."

Ichigo unleashed a roar to the sky and charged in for another attack. He wasn't going to wait around for them to come to him. He would be the one to engage. He ran forward and slammed his fist into the ground where they were clustered together. They jumped away in time which only made him madder.

"We just need a sample, right?" said Cedric. "I can hold him down while one of you takes it."

Rukia nodded. Cedric was the only one who stood a chance at restraining Ichigo. "We just need a hair or a blood sample, Mayuri said. Once we have that..."

Ichigo swung his arm at them again. Rukia just managed to dodge it in time. Cedric let the arm pass over his head and then grabbed it. He held Ichigo down, putting his full weight on his arm to keep Ichigo in place. When Ichigo swung his other arm, Cedric caught that and held it still.

"Got it!" Rukia jumped behind Ichigo and grabbed a strand of his long flowing hair. Ichigo swatted his tail at her and sent her flying. Luckily, she still had his hair closed in her fist.

Ichigo's arms started snapping. He roared and Cedric loosened his grip, fearing he would cause Ichigo more injury than he wanted. This allowed Ichigo to break free and toss Cedric aside. He roared and came after Cedric to finish what he started.

As he reached for Cedric, there was a massive spray of blood from Ichigo's right arm. He was cut. Veneno swooped in and stood between him and Cedric.

He wasn't trying to protect Cedric. He was trying to get to Ichigo. More importantly, he was trying to get them another sample.

Ichigo's blood splattered the ground and Cedric's clothes.

Ichigo's arm began to heal at once. The wound closed and he snarled a warning at Veneno.

"An experiment..." Veneno hissed. "I can't stand it. If you're going to be a Hollow, you do it on your own! They shouldn't force you!"

Ichigo roared at him and took a swing at his head. Veneno jumped aside and pointed his sword at Ichigo.

"The pain I feel inside when I think of what they did to me..! It's unbearable sometimes. I still remember the pain! I can't stand it..! I don't want you to feel what I have to suffer everyday of my life! I don't want you to know that pain, Ichigo! I care about you too much to see you shoulder it!"

Rukia clutched the hair in her hands tightly, staring at Veneno. As he spoke, she could hear the pain in his voice. Heard it shake with rage and sorrow. The emotion in his words made her heart ache. It was no wonder Ichigo tried so hard to help him. Why he cared so much. Ichigo might have been seen as a tough guy, but he was really compassionate. He was just careful who he showed that side to.

Veneno was still suffering from everything he had been through. Other people might think it wasn't a big deal and tell him to get over it, but they didn't live through it. Veneno did. Ichigo tried to understand and help him move on, even knowing the scars would remain.

Veneno accepted what had happened to him. He moved past a lot and coped. He was able to be in the lab without having a panic attack. He didn't strike Mayuri. He was friends with the people he once considered his enemy. He showed a marked improvement, but he still felt pain. There were some things he would never get over.

He didn't want that for Ichigo. He didn't want Ichigo to share his pain. He didn't want Ichigo to feel what he felt or suffer how he suffered. He cared about Ichigo too much to let that happen.

Saving Ichigo was a personal matter. Perhaps in a way, saving Ichigo was like Veneno saving himself.

"I have the sample!" Rukia held up the hair.

Cedric looked down at his bloody shirt, knowing they had another sample. He tore off his shirt and threw it to Rukia. "Take it. It has Ichigo's blood on it. You can use that as well."

Rukia looked at Cedric, down to his T-shirt which he wore under the long sleeved one, and knew he was choosing to stay behind to hold off Ichigo. Together, he and Veneno would hold him off while Rukia ran back to the lab with her samples.

"Be careful!" she called to them and ran back to the Seireitei. Her words were meant for all of them. Ichigo included. When she returned with a cure, she wanted them all to be alive.

* * *

Please review! ^-^


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter: 14**

The samples Rukia brought back would take a long time to process. Mayuri stayed hunched over in his lab going over every single detail. Victor remained by his side the entire time. Partly to offer insight and partly to keep him from getting distracted. When Victor mentioned that Kisuke was the one who had found a cure for the first serum Victor had created, Mayuri became bitter and refused to associate anything relating to this situation with him. Victor sensed he had hit a sore spot and didn't bring it up again. However, Mayuri did seem more focused. It seemed he had a bit of a rivalry with Kisuke, so he was determined to come up with a cure all on his own and somehow best Kisuke. Victor chose not to understand. He wanted no part of this. It seemed likely that it would only lead to trouble.

Rukia remained close to the lab, waiting for results. Linnette stayed near the lab as well. Victor wanted her close but not in the lab itself, finding it dangerous. It was hard to stay put and wait for so long. They wanted answers. They needed results.

Rukia glanced up seeing Renji sprinting towards her. "What's wrong? Did something happen?"

"We might have a problem," said Renji. "Remember how I had to explain things to Mayuri so we could get a cure for Ichigo? Well... Um..." Renji looked away. "It would seem that some information got leaked."

"What do you mean 'leaked'? What's going on?"

Renji frowned. "Uh..."

"What, Renji?"

"Some Soul Reapers know that Ichigo Hollowfied and word is starting to spread. Byakuya knows."

"My brother?"

Renji nodded. "He heard it from someone and doesn't know if it's just a rumor or not but he's taking it seriously. He's going to the Head Captain."

Rukia loved and respected Byakuya immensely, but his strong sense of justice was sometimes troubling. He knew the law well. There were some things he couldn't ignore. Ichigo becoming a Hollow was one of them.

"If he tells the Head Captain, they could give the order to kill Ichigo."

Linnette overheard everything. "We have to do something. Can't we just asked your brother not to tell anyone?"

"It doesn't work like that," said Renji. "He's bound by the law, too. Knowing him, he'll-"

"We can go to the Head Captain and explain the situation," Rukia said to reassure Linnette. "I had hoped we could do this quietly. Cure Ichigo before word got out so there would be no problem."

It seemed that wouldn't happen now. Now things were more complicated.

Linnette didn't understand the laws of the Soul Society, but she could sense that something was terribly wrong.

* * *

Byakuya had already told the Head Captain and he was just about to summon Rukia and Renji when they both showed up at his office. They were the ones who knew the situation and had seen Ichigo. Without their information, all they had was speculation. They explained the situation and gave all the information they had.

Neither of them had high hopes when they went in but now their fears were realized. The meeting with the Head Captain went about as well as they predicted. Thankfully, there was a ray of light at the end of the dark tunnel.

"What happened?" Linnette asked when she joined them. "What did he say?"

Renji gave her the news bluntly. "The Head Captain says that since the other people we discovered as Hollows had little hope, he's ordering Ichigo's execution."

Linnette started shrieking with panic. "No! No! We can't let them! Please, do something and stop them! Ichigo can't-"

"That's only if his transformation is irreversible," Rukia said quickly to calm her down. "Since Mayuri his working on a cure, the Head Captain said that we can hold off until it is completed. In the event that there is no cure, then and only then will they consider killing Ichigo."

Linnette was calmer but she was still worried. Her hands were shaking and she had tears in her eyes.

"It's going to be ok," Rukia told her. "Victor and Mayuri are both working on a cure. We'll have Ichigo fixed up in no time."

Linnette wasn't convinced. She was still very worried.

"The Head Captain is thinking about calling a meeting if things haven't changed in a few hours," said Renji. "He considers Ichigo a threat, which he is. But he's mostly concerned about everyone. He's also worried that if Ichigo cannot change back, then the humane thing to do would be to-"

"Renji!" Rukia snapped.

Renji flinched. "I... I didn't mean for it to sound... I do care about him, Rukia. I'm not being heartless here. I'm just saying what the Head Captain said."

Rukia shot him another look, telling him to stop talking. She didn't want to upset Linnette further. Most of all, she wanted to believe that everything would be alright and that Ichigo would live.

"Come on," Rukia said gently. "Let's get you something to eat. Everything always seems worse on an empty stomach."

Linnette knew it was just a distraction but she followed Rukia anyway.

* * *

For the next few hours, they waited for results. When enough time had passed, Rukia went back to the lab to check on Mayuri's progress. Sadly, a cure had not been found. He wasn't even close. He was extracting data and running tests, but was nowhere near a possible cure. After this was established, the Head Captain decided to send out a small group of Soul Reapers to assess Ichigo's condition. He knew Rukia and Renji would try to defend their friend so he had a neutral party go with Renji who would remain impartial. Renji was going because he knew Ichigo's location.

They were running out of time. If the Soul Reapers saw Ichigo in his Hollowfied state, they would report back to the Head Captain and label him as a threat. If that happened...

"Stay here," Rukia told Linnette and followed them. She had to go, too.

Linnette was left in the care of Rukia's Captain. Victor was still working with Mayuri and couldn't leave the lab. Cedric was battling Ichigo so Linnette was on her own.

Ukitake kept Linnette company in his office and tried to distract her with games and sweets. His office was very tidy and clean. The floors were well polished and shined in the sunlight streaming from the open windows. Even his desk was well organized. Everything in his office gave off a comfortable vibe. Everyone who entered was put at ease. Nothing in this office was stressful.

Unfortunately, Linnette wasn't put at ease. She was still very worried and the games they played didn't offer much distraction.

"Oh, how about that? I win. Let's go again and see if luck will remain with me." Ukitake looked across the table at the girl looking at the floor. "What's the matter? Not your game? Don't worry, you'll do well. Practice..."

He knew Linnette wasn't upset about the game. Even speaking to her wasn't helping so he stopped. Asking her to focus on the game wasn't going to change anything. Though he knew he was supposed to keep her busy, Ukitake instead changed the subject to what was truly bothering her in hopes of bringing her reassurance.

"He'll be fine. Don't worry."

Linnette looked up for the first time in ten minutes. Finally someone was talking about what was bothering her rather than ignore it and pretend nothing was happening.

"The Head Captain is holding off on taking action. He only sent that group out to see Ichigo's condition. That's all. No one's going to hurt him."

"But he was talking about killing Ichigo if a cure can't be found."

"That's only as a last resort," said Ukitake. "And honestly, if Ichigo can no longer come back and if he is no longer himself, then it might be for the best. There's no point in keeping him around if he is no longer Ichigo. That's all the Head Captain is thinking. Nothing against Ichigo. Just trying to protect everyone and put Ichigo out of his misery. But... That's only if he can't be fixed. It just makes sense if he's no longer... There's no point if he can't..."

Ukitake knew he was only making it worse. He was trying to explain the situation but it seemed that he was only making things seem more grim.

"It's only if he can't be cured. But don't worry. Everything will be ok. They found a cure for everything else. They can find one for this. We just have to wait. Then Ichigo will be cured and everything will be alright."

Linnette looked at the table. Every other time someone had been turned into a Hollow using a serum, they've been cured. Ichigo was in the same position as the people from the past, which meant he could be cured as well. She tried to think positively but it was difficult. She couldn't help but worry.

"It's not just that," she said. "I was also upset about something else... About me."

"Oh?" Ukitake started to set up a new game. "What about?"

"Just..." Linnette gripped her skirt tightly. "What's been happening. Even though Icigo's a Hollow, my voice won't work on him. So everyone... Rukia and Renji and... They said I couldn't help in this situation. Doesn't that mean... My voice is my only weapon, so if I can't use it... I'm useless."

Ukitake stopped setting up the new game. He could see the sadness in her eyes and hear it in her voice.

"What can I do?" Linnette whimpered. "Ichigo's in trouble and I can't do anything to help him. They left me behind here because I can't do anything out there. I can't help with a cure, I can't tame his Hollow... What can I do? If I can't use my voice, I'm useless. I can't do anything to help."

"You're not useless," Ukitake assured her. "You're not. You-"

"I'm not a Soul Reaper!" she cried. "I can't use a sword or use that magic stuff you guys can use that's really cool. And I'm not like Victor and Cedric. I'm just a human. I can get hurt. I'm not very strong, I get tired, I can bleed. I'm not like other people here. I'm just a human. If it weren't for my voice... But when I can't use it, what do I have? It's my only weapon. It's all I've got."

"That's not all you have."

"But I need help because I can't do anything else. Victor and Cedric are strong and fast and I'm not. I relay on them to make up for what I lack. I know I have them with me. But I'm talking about me. What do I have other than my voice? Without it, without them... I am useless."

Ukitake couldn't stand to see someone in pain. He wanted to help her. He knew she was very upset and needed someone to help her through it. "But you're not useless. You are strong."

"No, I'm not," she said. "I can't fight and I can't lift cars or anything like the people around me."

"Strength isn't just about how much you can lift or how hard you can punch. You can have great inner strength as well. You can be strong inside."

Linnette still looked like she was about to cry.

"Take a look at me," said Ukitake. "I'm in pretty bad shape when you think about it. I'm out sick most of the time. I'm at home confined to a bed. I'm pretty weak. But a lot of people still care about me and want to help me, even though there's a lot I can't do. Even when I'm feeling better, I can't fight for too long. I get weak, I cough up blood. And yet someone like me became a Captain. I can fight but honestly, I don't think I'm that strong. Not with my illness. Yet here I am. I'd like to think it's because I have something to offer. Something other than how strong I am in a fight."

"You are very nice," she told him.

"Yes, but how does that make me strong?" he asked her.

Linnette didn't have an answer.

"There are different kinds of strength. There are still things I can do to help people. And there are things you can do as well." Ukitake gave her a smile. "I wouldn't worry about it. I can tell you're a strong young girl. Now all you have to do is discover it for yourself."

A strength other than physical? Linnette knew inner strength existed but she wasn't certain what kind she had within her. She knew Ukitake was strong despite being sick. He was still a Captain and he was a useful man. There were things he could do despite his shortcomings.

He was confident she was capable of many things. Even when she had confidence in herself, she kept hearing Ikkaku's words when he said if it weren't for her voice she would be useless. A part of her believed that. Seeing the state Ichigo was in and her voice being unable to reach him, she was convinced Ikkaku was correct. Hearing Ukitake tell her different left her wondering.

Maybe she wasn't completely useless. She wanted to discover a way she could help Ichigo. She wanted to help her friend. Her first real friend.

* * *

"Up ahead!" Renji hollered to the two Soul Reapers behind him. He could hear the roars and see the destruction from his position. He knew Ichigo was still on a rampage. Rukia had told him Ichigo had Hollowfied again. Renji didn't want to think of what could come of Ichigo being a Hollow for this long. What it could do to him.

There was a glimmer of hope. He had managed to change back once before. That meant he could do it again. It meant he wasn't lost. There was hope all this could be reversed. Ichigo was still in there. He could be saved.

There came a sound like a bat striking the side of a brick wall. Cedric came flying through the air and landed in Renji's chest. Renji was flattened by Cedric's larger frame and lay sprawled under his full weight.

Cedric got up quickly and rushed back into battle without a word to Renji. He acted as if he wasn't even aware he had crushed him.

As the group approached, they saw Ichigo's Hollowfied form rampaging and attacking Cedric. "Duck!" Renji yelled as a cero was unleashed and blasted the air behind them. The wind from the blast was as powerful as a hurricane. By the time they looked up, Ichigo was on top of them. He roared and sent his arm crashing down. Cedric appeared and used his own body to block the attack and protect the Soul Reapers. Ichigo used his other arm to slap Cedric from the side and sent him tumbling away. Then he turned back to the trio. They were on their feet and running from his next attack.

"That's Kurosaki?" asked one of the Soul Reapers. "What the hell? Just look at him."

Renji looked at the two men beside him and read their expressions. He knew they were thinking Ichigo was a lost cause. He was afraid they would head back to the Head Captain and tell him to order Ichigo's elimination. Renji couldn't blame them for being frightened. Ichigo was truly frightening, especially to those who had never seen him like this before.

"He's managed to change back before," Renji told them, hoping it would make them more rational. Maybe if they thought Ichigo could change himself back that they wouldn't have to go for the extreme conclusion. They might consider other options. They might become more hopeful as well and think Ichigo could return to normal.

"But look at him." The Soul Reaper pointed at Ichigo's monstrous form. "He's... I mean look at that!"

"He changed back before!" said Renji sharply. "He can do it again!"

"I wouldn't hold my breath..."

Ichigo's roar shook the earth and he fired another cero at Cedric. He dodged but just barely. After fighting Ichigo for the past several hours, he was starting to wear down. Even Linnette's creations had their limits.

"Ichigo!" Veneno charged at his friend with his sword and sliced a part of his leg, bringing him to one knee. He wasn't trying to hurt Ichigo, only cripple him so he would be in no shape to continue fighting.

His leg healed itself and Ichigo took a wide swing at him. Veneno was also tired from the fight and couldn't dodge this one. Veneno was slammed from the side into the ground. Ichigo roared in his ear as if taunting him to get back up. Cedric slammed his shoulder into Ichigo's ribs and threw him off the fallen Arrancar.

Veneno was hurt but he could walk away from this. He was strong.

Rukia arrived and saw what was happening. Ichigo was still itching for a fight and Veneno and Cedric were worn down after all this time. They needed someone to take over.

Ichigo raised his fist and started to bring it down over Veneno and Cedric.

"Ichigo!" Rukia screamed to get his attention.

His fist stopped.

Rukia came closer to make herself the target. She had to defend her friends. They needed time to recover.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Renji shouted. "I was assigned, not you. Get the hell out of here!"

Ichigo started to turn then stopped. He started and stopped like a wind up toy running down. He growled and started to raise his fist again. Then his arm stopped and he let out a pained roar. Abruptly, it stopped. Ichigo's mask began to crack and split. His body was starting to shatter like a glass statue struck with a rock. It started at his shoulder, then his rib, and his legs. His tail went stiff and started to break off. His body started to fall apart. It looked like he was molting.

Everyone watched as the monster started to shatter and break. Then they heard grunting. It was Ichigo's voice. His Hollow form broke away from the body hidden under the impenetrable shell revealing Ichigo. He kicked and punched his way out like a chick emerging from its shell. He staggered away from his molted body and slumped to the ground breathing hard.

It had taken nearly everything he had but he finally managed to break free.

Rukia hurried over to check on him. Ichigo was hunched over drawing deep breaths but he was alive. "Ichigo, are you alright? Say something."

Ichigo lifted his head. His breathing slowed to a normal pace but before he could say anything, his body tipped to one side and he fell over. Rukia cradled his head in her lap and called his name.

"I can hear you," he said weakly. "I'm in pain but not deaf."

Rukia didn't know whether to hit him or leave him alone. She knew it was him. That attitude could only belong to the Ichigo she knew.

"Is he ok?" Renji came over to check on them. When Rukia nodded her head, Renji let out a sign of relief. He knew Ichigo wasn't cured. He knew this was fleeting. Ichigo would change again, but he was thankful he changed back in front of the other Soul Reapers. Maybe now they would see that there was hope and that Ichigo wasn't permanently a Hollow. There was hope.

The two Soul Reapers came closer to investigate. Seeing Ichigo back in Soul Reaper form made them rethink their report. It was a miracle Ichigo managed to discard his Hollow form. They didn't think it was possible. Seeing it with their own eyes had changed things. They were going to report back to the Head Captain that Ichigo could be saved. He wasn't a complete Hollow. He could still change back, which meant a cure was very likely.

"Oh... Now this is a shame..."

Again they heard his voice. That same smug voice as before.

Yagi was standing nearby looking at Ichigo with a mixed expression of annoyance and amusement.

Rukia held Ichigo tightly, shielding him from Yagi. The Quincy saw this and smirked.

"Just think, Ichigo... How easy it would be not to put yourself through this," he said. "Why don't you just give up? Let the transformation happen and stop resisting. You can't stop it anyway. The more you fight it, the more painful it will be. Using all your strength to combat it is weakening you. And the weaker you get, the easier it will be to Hollowfy. So stop resisting and let it happen. What are you trying to prove? You're fighting back so you won't hurt your friends. But the irony is that by doing so you are weakening yourself making it easier for the Hollow serum to take effect. No matter what, you're going to end up attacking them. So you see it is pointless. You're only putting yourself through agony and weakening yourself. It's foolish. Then again, I never did think you were that bright to begin with."

"Stop running your mouth," said Renji. "Do you know how annoying you sound?"

"Not nearly as annoying as Ichigo's defiance." Yagi clicked his tongue. "So stubborn."

The Soul Reapers had never seen Yagi before but they knew he was a Quincy. After hearing what he had to say, they knew Yagi was an enemy. They drew their swords and got ready.

"Hang on," Yagi said holding up his hand. "I don't think you're up to speed on what's going on. I alone hold the cure to save Ichigo. If you kill me, your hopes of saving him go out the window."

"We're already working on a cure," said one of the men. "We don't need you."

Actually, they did. Until a cure was found and proven to work, they needed Yagi alive as a backup. Only when a cure was discovered could they attack him freely.

Renji held out his arm to stop the men from attacking. "Don't be rash. Until we know the cure works, we can't hurt him as the only other person who is capable. Even if he won't give it to us willingly, having him around gives us that possibility. Cut him down and we lose all hope."

Which was exactly what Yagi wanted. He saw to it that he would be safe. The Soul Reapers wouldn't kill him so long as he had something to offer. He was a trump-card.

Cedric began to stand. He had enough power in him to make a quick dash behind Yagi and grab him. He could restrain him so he couldn't get away.

"And how is Linnette doing?" asked Yagi.

Cedric stopped in his tracks. He couldn't make a move. Not if her life would be in danger.

"Remember I can strike without her having to be nearby. I don't have to touch her. I don't have to lift a finger. I don't have to do anything." Yagi smiled wickedly at Cedric. "Restrain me if you wish but the second you do... Well, we know what happened the last time. Same thing goes for them."

Rukia grew worried. She had seen what Yagi had done to Linnette. It nearly killed her. Yagi could do the same thing to them and being so far from medical aid, it was unlikely they would survive. He might even be able to hit multiple targets at once. They were all in danger if he didn't even have to touch them. She didn't know how that power worked so there was little they could do to counter it.

Ichigo knew what Yagi was referring to. He had to pass a message off to Rukia and let her know the truth.

Yagi chuckled. "So what will you do? You can't harm me, and you hold a ticking time bomb in your lap. Do you honestly think you stand a chance? Save yourselves the trouble and give up already. I hardly think it's worth all this trouble."

Rukia tried to think of something. She examined their options. They couldn't restrain Yagi, even with kido. He could use the same technique he used on Linnette on her again. Perhaps even on all of them. The only one who was safe from that attack was Cedric because he had no blood. Cedric wouldn't be willing to do anything if it meant risking Linnette, even if he was safe she was not. Ichigo was in no condition for a fight and he wouldn't last long before another Hollowfication occurred. Rukia thought about using her ice to stop Yagi but it was the same issue as kido or physically restraining him. Yagi would still be able to use that attack. The only option was to kill him but they couldn't do that until they had a cure in their hands. They had more options and more hope of a cure with Yagi alive. Killing him would limit them and there was no turning back. Even if Yagi wouldn't give it up, at least they had the possibility.

Rukia saw a shadow over her shoulder and turned to see Veneno standing behind her staring at Yagi. Veneno was in rough shape after going several rounds with Ichigo but he was still able to stand.

His eyes were focused on Yagi. He seemed to have gained strength when he saw the Quincy. He examined Yagi, looking him over as if he were giving an appraisal.

Yagi caught Veneno staring at him and turned his attention towards the Arrancar. "What? You look like you have something to say."

Veneno didn't answer him. He continued to study him and listened to the sound of his voice.

His hand started to shake. At first Rukia thought it was because Veneno had grown weak. Then she realized it was from anger.

"Don't be shy," said Yagi. "Speak your mind. What do you want to ask?" Yagi knew Veneno had a question. Tired of waiting, he encouraged Veneno to speak.

Veneno looked away for a moment when he heard Ichigo let out a dull moan. Then he looked back at Yagi, glaring.

"Are you the one?" he asked. "Did you do this to Ichigo?"

He spoke calmly but there was hatred in his voice.

Yagi answered casually. "If you are asking if I gave Ichigo a drug to force him into Hollow form, then yes. But I think Ichigo brought it on himself." Yagi smiled.

"So you're the one who experimented on him?"

"Yes. And he wasn't the only one. Many others have died as a result but I like to think it was all worth it to get to this point." Yagi smirked. "If it weren't for those I sacrificed, I would have never been able to get this far. There are still some things I'm not completely satisfied with but I like how Ichigo turned out. I'm quite proud of this little experiment."

Veneno lowered his head. "So you experimented on him and many others. I see."

Rukia knew the calm in Veneno's voice was the calm before the storm.

At once, Veneno lifted his head, a murderous look on his vicious face. "You're dead!" he screamed and dashed forward.

In the blink of an eye, he was in front of Yagi, sword cocked over his head. He brought it straight down but Yagi wasn't there.

"You seem upset," Yagi said from behind.

Veneno spun around, swinging his sword. Yagi flashed away and appeared a little further from where Veneno stood, smirking.

Missing had only irritated Veneno further. His green eyes sparkled with the same thirst for blood as his blade. He could never forgive Yagi for what he had done. This went beyond striking a nerve. This was important to Veneno. It was personal. It was justice.

He roared and dashed at Yagi again. This time he came close. The cuff of Yagi's sleeve was cut and flapped in the breeze his sword created.

"Veneno, stop!" Rukia screamed. At this rate, Veneno would inflict a fatal wound. They still needed Yagi. "Cedric, stop him!"

Veneno wasn't going to give up. He was on a warpath and wasn't going to stop until Yagi was dead.

Veneno raised his sword again, letting out a cry of unrestrained fury and swung downward.

Cedric grabbed his arms from behind and held the sword in place.

"Let me go!" Veneno fought against Cedric's grip but couldn't get free. "Let me go! I'll kill him! I'll kill him!"

"We need him alive," Cedric said firmly. "He's the only one who knows how to cure Ichigo. If he dies, Ichigo might be beyond saving."

That was enough to make Veneno hesitate. Only for a moment. The next second, he was fighting again. "I don't believe that!" he screamed. "Like he'll give it to you anyway!"

"We have to take that chance. We know he might not give it to us even if we beg."

Veneno kicked his legs, still trying to reach Yagi. "I don't trust him! I don't believe him! He's probably just saying that so we won't attack him! He's just trying to con us to protect himself! He's a manipulator!"

Having only just met Yagi a moment ago, already Veneno knew his character. He analyzed Yagi well and knew what type of man he was. He was an manipulator. He was a conman. They couldn't trust a word out of his lying mouth, even if he did sprinkle the truth here and there.

Unafraid, Yagi put a hand on Veneno's sword and cast it aside. "I should have known an Arrancar wouldn't play fair. Here I am without a sword and you use this against me."

"And you're a coward! Hiding behind your threats and people you've tormented and transformed. Who are you to talk?"

Yagi chuckled as if he had told an amusing joke. "You truly are something." Yagi started to walk away.

"Get back here!" Veneno hollered. "I'm not finished with you!"

"A dog with all bark and no bite. How pathetic. I, on the other hand, have both. This will be an easy fight to win."

He stopped to look down at Ichigo who had his eyes closed, suffering through terrible pain. He gave Ichigo's foot a small kick as he walked by.

"He'll change again, you know. I wouldn't want to be so close to him when that happens."

Rukia glared at him.

"...Rukia..." Ichigo whispered. "Rukia... I have to tell you something."

"Don't talk right now. You need to save your strength."

"It's important." Ichigo couldn't speak loud enough for the others to hear so he hoped Rukia would be able to pass on the message. "It's Yagi's Blood Spear attack... The one that hurt Linnette..."

Rukia leaned closer to hear him. "Yeah?"

"He can't use it more than once a day. If he uses it on someone, he has to wait twenty-four hours before he can use it again."

Rukia listened carefully. She understood. Knowing this, Rukia thought she could predict what Yagi would do. Because no one knew this other than Ichigo, Yagi was going to threaten them with this power, making them think he would use it an unlimited amount of times. Now that she knew the truth, once Yagi used the technique, he wouldn't be able to do it again for a full day. That was when they could restrain him without fear.

However, Yagi was aware of this drawback and would unlikely use it on just anyone at any time. He would plan and wait. He might not use it at all, knowing that he wouldn't be able to use it again. By not using it, he would still have it and be able to use it as a threat to keep them at bay. Once he used that power, he would be vulnerable.

Rukia thought by tricking him, they might be able to make him use that power. He was like a gun with one bullet. He would only use it when he had to and he would be careful of when he did. Tricking him might not be easy. They also weren't aware of the range of his attack. He could use it on Linnette again, even if she wasn't in his sight. This was a problem. It would also make knowing when he used it harder to tell. He could pretend to use it then when they thought he was vulnerable and attacked, he would use it for real.

Even with this new information, things were still complicated.

Yagi turned and faced the group. "This is taking longer than I expected. Eventually I'll grow bored." He looked at Ichigo who was looking back at him. "Just turn already and get this over with. It's inevitable."

Ichigo struggled to sit up. When he put his hand on the ground to support himself, it felt as if he were leaning on a bed of nails. The pain started in his palms and shot up his arms to his chest. His skin felt like glass. Everything hurt and everything seemed to cause him damage.

"Just turn, Ichigo," coaxed Yagi. "Be a good little Hollow and-"

Something wet hit Yagi's shoe. Ichigo spat on him. It was all he could do until his strength returned.

Yagi frowned. "Isn't that a bit childish."

"Screw you."

Since Ichigo wasn't in his Hollow form, Yagi didn't consider him a threat which was why he stood so close. Once Ichigo lost control, he would retreat as he had done before.

"I'm rather tempted to give you another injection just to speed this up. But who knows what that could do to you? I'm not sure if I should take that risk. But if this takes any longer, I may have no choice."

"Leave Ichigo alone!" Veneno yelled from Cedric's grasp. He turned and spoke directly to Cedric. "Let me go. I want to be with Ichigo."

As long as Veneno didn't go after Yagi, Cedric granted his wish and released him.

Veneno went straight to Ichigo and bent down to be at his side.

It had been so long since Ichigo had seen him, he had almost forgotten that voice. He thought he had heard Veneno screaming before but had convinced himself it was his imagination. There was no way Veneno could have been here. Yet here he was, right by his side.

"Hey..." Ichigo greeted him with a smile. "Veneno... It's been so long."

Veneno nodded, smiling back. How he had wanted to hear his voice.

"Wish it was under better circumstances," Ichigo said. "This is kind of a poor reunion, isn't it?"

Veneno shook his head. "I came to help you. In any case, I'm glad to see you."

Ichigo turned his head and started heaving again. He felt sick to his stomach but nothing was coming out but saliva. Ichigo took this as a good sign. He was even able to sit up which he wasn't able to do before. Maybe his body was flushing out the drug. Maybe he was healing himself. Yagi's drug was experimental. Maybe it wasn't perfected as much as he thought.

"Get Ichigo out of here," said Renji. "Get some distance between you and Yagi." Renji had a bad feeling Yagi didn't come all this way just to gloat. Since he had threatened Ichigo with another dose, Renji was afraid he would attempt to go through with it. His instincts told him to get Ichigo as far from Yagi as possible.

Rukia was thinking the same thing. She didn't know what Yagi was planning but she didn't want to wait around and find out. She pulled Ichigo to his feet. He was barely able to stand.

"Do you really think that's such a good idea?" asked Yagi. "Ticking time bomb, remember?"

She ignored him and helped support Ichigo on her shoulder.

"Where will you go?" Yagi asked as they started walking away. "To the Seireitei? By all means, go there. I can't wait to see what happens."

When no one paid him any mind, Yagi grew annoyed. He seemed to love the attention and now that he wasn't receiving any, he proceeded to get it. Any way that he could.

"Walking away with your tail between your legs, Ichigo?" he taunted. "Who knew you were so weak?"

Ichigo turned around.

"Ignore him, Ichigo." Rukia knew what Yagi was doing and refused to let Ichigo get suckered into his temptation.

"Pathetic you are," Yagi called after him.

Ichigo wanted to take a swing at him but he also knew what Yagi was trying to do. He was trying to get him worked up enough to start fighting back. When he did, it would be easier for the Hollow to surface. If Ichigo wasted all his energy in a fight, he wouldn't be able to hold back the transformation.

"Fine," said Yagi. "If you won't do it, I'll do it for you." He drew a blade from his belt which had a blue glow to it. Ichigo recognized it as the same Quincy weapon Uryu had. The only one that actually looked like a sword but doubled as an arrow.

Yagi took aim at Ichigo's back.

His weapon was blocked by Veneno's sword. "Attacking someone with their back turned. I knew you were a coward but this?"

"Perhaps a little injury will spark things," said Yagi. "I'm tired of waiting."

Veneno wouldn't let him get by. He wouldn't let Yagi reach Ichigo.

"You're already winded from your fight against him. Do you really think you have a chance against me? I'm not only powerful but well-rested. I can take you easily."

"I'm not going to let you hurt Ichi-"

Rukia let out a gasp coupled with a small shriek. Worried, Ichigo forced himself to stand so he could turn around and look.

Veneno had been slashed multiple times as if hit by a whirlwind of shrapnel. Veneno's sword slipped from his hands and fell. A moment later, he toppled over.

"Veneno!" Ichigo screamed.

He had just been reunited with him and now this? He couldn't have been dead. What had Yagi done?

"Was that not enough?" asked Yagi, an evil look in his eyes. "Will it take more? How many of your friends must I cut down before you seek revenge? What will it take to make you change?" He held up the weapon. "A direct attack. Will that work? Should I just keep cutting your body until something happens?"

"Get Ichigo out of here now!" Renji shouted.

They all knew Yagi was trying to trigger Ichigo's Hollowfication. They couldn't let that happen.

Rukia tightened her grip on Ichigo and took off. When Yagi aimed at her, the two Soul Reapers blocked his path.

"Not so fast!"

"There's no way we're going to let you-"

Two more bodies hit the ground.

Rukia wouldn't look back. Renji covered her and they ran with Ichigo getting him to a safe place. Cedric remained behind to take care of the fallen and try to stall Yagi for as long as he could. Doing that without touching him was going to be the real issue.

"Wait!" Ichigo tried to wriggle free. "What about them? We can't just leave them."

"We're not," said Renji. "Cedric's with them. He can handle it."

"Yagi's after you, Ichigo," pointed out Rukia. "We have to get you away from him."

It wasn't in him to leave someone behind, even if he was in bad shape. Ichigo wanted to go back to help the fallen. Especially Veneno. This wasn't the reunion either of them had imagined and Ichigo hated that they had to part so quickly. He knew Veneno wasn't dead. He couldn't have been cut down so easily. He had to go back for him. He couldn't abandon him.

"Stop struggling, you idiot," said Renji. "We're trying to help you."

"Help them!" Ichigo shouted. "I'm fine."

"Don't give me that. You can't even walk."

"Sure I can!"

"Don't!" Rukia said sharply. "You need to save all your strength to suppress your transformation. Don't waste it."

"What does it matter?" Ichigo asked angrily. "I know suppressing it is taking a toll on my body. I know fighting it is weakening me and I know this will eventually kill me. So what the hell is the point is saving my strength if it's just going to kill me faster?"

"So you're giving up?"

"Of course not! I'm just saying I'll use whatever strength I have to kick Yagi's ass! Then we won't have to worry about him doing anything else. He won't use that serum again, he won't hurt anyone else. It will be over."

"He's the only one who knows how to cure you," said Renji. "We need him alive until we can come up with our own cure. Then we won't need him anymore and we can finish him."

"He could be lying to save his own ass!" snapped Ichigo. "He could just be saying he has a cure when he doesn't. He's just trying to protect himself."

Which was exactly what Veneno had theorized. Yagi could have been lying about a cure. He was crafty enough to tell the truth and sprinkle lies making it harder to tell where the lie ended and the truth began. He was very cunning. Yagi couldn't be trusted.

"It's the only hope we have," said Renji. "Even if he's lying, we're not going to take that chance. Not until you're out of the woods." Renji looked back. "We have company."

Ichigo couldn't see who it was but he knew it had to be Yagi.

"Rukia, take Ichigo away from here while I hold him off."

"Take me where exactly?" asked Ichigo. "Where can we go?"

"Like I know! Figure it out!" Renji unsheathed his sword. "All I know is that Yagi is after you for some reason. I doubt he came all this way to gloat. There must be a reason for him being here. He leaves when you become a Hollow so as long as you're yourself, he's going to get closer to you. I don't know what he's planning on doing, but he might inject you again or do something worse. Just stay away from him."

Until he could Hollowfy again. That was the bitter irony of it. Ichigo would be safe from Yagi if he was a Hollow but that meant becoming a monster that would kill and be hunted by everyone else. Ichigo wouldn't change even if it meant being safe from Yagi. He wouldn't put his friends in danger.

Changing into a Hollow was what Yagi wanted.

"Get the hell out of here," said Renji, stopping to face the threat. "I'll hold him off."

"Wait, Renji," Ichigo called. "Yagi's Blood Spear attack... The one that hurt Linnette... He can only use it once a day. After he uses it, he can't use it again for twenty-four hours."

Renji heard every word and understood. "Thanks for the heads up. Now get going."

Rukia took Ichigo far away.

Renji could see the Quincy coming closer and summoned Zabimaru. Ichigo's words echoed in his mind and he started to think. If what Ichigo said was true, then if he could somehow force Yagi to use that power, he would be vulnerable. Once used, he wouldn't be able to use it again for a long time. This meant he would no longer be able to use it as a threat, making him easy to capture. He couldn't threaten anyone with that power so even Cedric could grab Yagi without fear of what could happen to Linnette or someone else.

However, Renji started to have doubts. Yagi didn't always tell the whole truth and even if he did, he sprinkled little lies throughout making it hard to tell fact from whatever he fabricated. For all he knew, Yagi could have told Ichigo that he could only use it once to get their guard down. Once he used it they would charge in thinking they were safe and he would unleash it a second time.

If it was true, then that would make capturing Yagi easy once he used that power. However, knowing he could only use it once would make things difficult. He would be very careful about when he used it. Renji doubted he would be easy to trick in that case. He would hold onto that power for as long as he could. He may never use it just to ensure he could still use it as a threat. It would be next to impossible to get him to use Blood Spear again.

Yagi stood before Renji looking past his red head to the horizon. "I take it you're going to stall me. I assume you won't let me pass even if I asked nicely, would you?"

Renji answered by flourishing his flexible blade.

"I thought not." Yagi didn't draw a weapon. This worried Renji. Was he that cocky or was there something else going on? "Do you really think you can take me on? Not even that Arrancar stood a chance against me."

"He was tired from battling Ichigo all day. I'm all rested up and ready to go."

"We shall see."

Renji tried to think of an attack. He could try to bind him with kido but his talent in that department was lacking. He might mess it up. Using his sword to bind him could work. Renji still had no idea how Yagi had defeated those Soul Reapers and Veneno. Renji didn't see the technique. He didn't want to waste time trying to figure it out. He just had to stall Yagi while the others got away. That was the plan. Whatever happened, happened.

Knocking Yagi unconscious seemed like a good way to go that wouldn't result in any harm. He would be unable to use that Blood Spear power, he wouldn't be able to attack and he wouldn't be able to go after Ichigo. Renji decided to try his luck. If it happened, it happened. This way he wouldn't cause Yagi serious injury that could kill him. No matter what, they had to keep Yagi alive. Just until a cure was discovered. Then all bets were off.

"Hyah!" Renji sent Zabimaru forward. It was an obvious attack what was easily predicted. Yagi avoided it with ease. He stepped aside and let the blade pass by his head. The breeze from the attack ruffled his hair. With a slight tug, Renji sent it back, looping around Yagi's back to corner him. Yagi flashed away and appeared on the other side of the blade unscathed.

He knew Renji wasn't trying to hurt him. He was stalling. That was Renji's role in this fight. To stall Yagi until Rukia and Ichigo managed to get enough distance between them.

"Just how long do you think you can keep this up?" asked Yagi. "You don't think I'll be able to move past you and continue on? This is a wide open area. It wouldn't be hard."

"Then I'll just chase you down."

Yagi smiled. "Not without legs." He summoned his bow and fired at Renji's feet.

Renji jumped away and attacked from above. "Bankai!"

"Typical Soul Reaper." Yagi sounded bored, like a child stopping a game halfway through.

Renji let out a roar and sent his sword's new form forward. It roared and hissed, slamming into the ground where Yagi stood. When the dust cleared Yagi was gone. Renji looked around and found Yagi standing directly below him. He fired a folly of arrows straight up and Renji used his sword to block the attack. He decided to attack from above and threw Zabimaru at Yagi, forcing him to run. He swung his sword left and right. Sometimes Yagi would get close and other times he jumped further away. So long as he was distracted, Renji didn't care.

Now Yagi was standing still and no longer bothered to dodge. Renji grew suspicious and landed, nervously checked Yagi's hands for weapons. He held a small vile in his right hand.

"Like I've been saying, you Soul Reapers are so primitive. So foolish. A Quincy could do better. You don't even know how to be aware of your surrounding in a fight." He tipped the bottle over and it splashed on something sticking out of the ground.

Renji remembered seeing this before. Uryu had done it. Gasping, Renji looked around. There were other blades like the one in front of Yagi sticking out of the ground. Renji was right in the middle of them. "This is..."

"Sprenger."

Renji was supposed to distract Yagi but he was the one who fell into a trap.

* * *

The building they found had been abandoned for years. Moss was growing on the walls and vines crept in and out of windows, making it look like an indoor garden. Some parts of the building were missing. One wall had fallen exposing the fourth and third story floors. The ceiling had also collapsed in areas. Rukia wasn't looking for luxury when she chose this place. She was just looking for somewhere to hide. This was the only building around for miles and it was uninhabited. It was as good a place as any.

She set Ichigo on the ground of the fourth floor away from the exposed wall. When she lowered him to the ground, she took notice of how her shoulder felt now that Ichigo was no longer on it. It felt like she had removed a heating pad. Ichigo was running a terrible fever. His whole body was burning up. She wiped his forehead with her sleeve and wrung it out. He was sweating so much, Rukia worried he would dehydrate. She didn't have any water on her so there was little she could do.

Ichigo opened his eyes and looked at her. "We have to go back... We have to help..."

"We're staying here," she said firmly.

"We can't just leave them."

"We already told you that Cedric is there taking care of them. You have nothing to worry about. Just stay put."

Ichigo didn't accept that. He couldn't abandon people. He couldn't run away when someone was in danger, even if it was someone he didn't know. It wasn't in him.

Though he was determined, his body betrayed him. His legs wouldn't move and his arms were too heavy to lift. He felt so weak. The fever alone made him feel sick. He knew he was in a bad way but he still wanted to fight.

There were two major problems preventing him from doing this. The first one was obvious: he was in no condition to fight with this drug coursing through his veins. The second reason he couldn't fight had to do with his lack of weaponry. Ichigo did not have his sword with him. He had surrendered it to Yagi when he met with him in that underground hiding place of his. He hadn't seen it since then. He felt incomplete without it. Most of all, he felt helpless. He didn't know how to use Kido, so the only other option was hand-to-hand combat. However, in his state, his punches would be too weak to do any damage at all.

Rukia kept a close eye on him, looking away every now and then to see if someone was outside. She didn't stick her head out the openings in the building because she didn't want to draw attention to their location. If Yagi saw her head peeking out, he would know where they were hiding.

Rukia sensed someone was nearby and drew her sword. "Stay here," she told Ichigo. If someone was out there, she had to make sure they didn't find Ichigo. She had to make herself a target to lure them away.

Standing outside the building was Yagi and he was alone. He wasn't even injured. Rukia was worried about Renji but she had to focus on Yagi for now and worry about her friend later.

"It would be so simple if you just gave me Ichigo. Then no one would get hurt."

Rukia pointed her sword at Yagi. "You say that, but we both know that's a lie. People will get hurt no matter what. You plan on using Ichigo to attack us. If we don't do as you say, you'll attack us. Either way we're going to get hurt."

Yagi smirked. "Clever girl, you are." He drew something that looked a lot like a sword from his belt. "But I would have hoped you would be clever enough to know that by giving in to my demands, you wouldn't suffer as much. Now you leave me little choice."

Rukia sprang into the air. She had to keep Yagi alive but she also had to keep him from reaching Ichigo. She didn't know what he was planning to do with him, but whatever it was, it wasn't good. Maybe she could tire him out or freeze him in place. She had to try something.

"Dance, Sode no Shirayuki!" Rukia planned to freeze him where he stood. "Some no mai, Tsukishiro!"

The ground beneath Yagi started to glow and the temperature dropped. A pillar of ice shot straight up under his feet. Rukia thought she had captured him in the attack but he appeared just behind the ice pillar, unharmed. He managed to step away just in time. Rukia tried the attack a second time, but once again she missed her target. Yagi was too quick.

Now Yagi was on the offensive. He jumped to her level and swung his weapon. Rukia dodged it and struck back. Their blades clanged together violently.

"How can you hope to attack me when your heart isn't in it?" he asked her. He knew they were trying to refrain from inflicting mortal wounds, which naturally made it harder for them to fight him. "How someone as small as you became a Lieutenant is beyond me."

Yagi shoved Rukia back into the wall.

"And I mean that in both senses of the word. Your frame and your stunning lack of power."

Rukia kicked off from the wall and came at him in a frontal attack. Yagi easily stepped aside and kicked her in the spine as she passed him.

Ichigo could hear their fight from inside the broken walls. From the gaps in the poor structure, he could see glimpses of Rukia fighting. She wasn't able to hurt Yagi but he was landing hits on her. Ichigo knew she was holding back for his sake, but Ichigo didn't want that.

"She's going to get herself killed..." Ichigo didn't want anyone to die for him. He didn't approve of them holding back to keep Yagi alive for the sole purpose of curing him. Ichigo knew Yagi would never give it up even if they tortured him. It was a lost cause. All they were doing was limited themselves. If they didn't, then Yagi would be easier to defeat.

Then again, maybe not. Ichigo had trouble with Yagi himself. He got to be the Quincy leader for a reason. He must have been the strongest among them. Certainly the most cunning.

Knowing this, Ichigo knew that they didn't stand a chance holding back against Yagi. Even at full power, they needed help. His help. Ichigo couldn't let them fight this battle alone. He couldn't let them fight without him. He still had a score to settle with Yagi. He wasn't going to give up and certainly not before he drew blood from Yagi's lying body.

Through sheer will, Ichigo moved his arms. He managed to lift himself up and get his legs under him. Using the wall for support, Ichigo stood. His legs almost came out from under him, but he managed to stay standing. Walking was going to be the next challenge. He tried to take a step but he fell to one knee and sat bent on the mossy floor. He pulled himself back up and instead of stepping, he slid his foot across the floor. So far, so good.

The room started to spin. Ichigo clutched the wall and rested his forehead against the stone. The cold stone felt good on his burning flesh. He removed his head and started to move forward. Inch by inch, he slid further down the broken hallway. He looked back to see his progress. He had only moved about ten feet from where he was before, but he was proud of his accomplishment. It was something, considering how he shouldn't have been able to move at all. He kept going.

As he reached the steps leading to the next level, the room started to spin again. He stopped, trying to get his eyes to focus. It looked as if someone were dimming the lights on him, fading in and out. He could hear his body hit the steps but he couldn't feel it. His body had gone numb. Ichigo tried to will himself out of this state. It started to work. The lights came back on and he could feel the steps under his hands. He crawled up the stairs on his hands and knees. He was mindful of the holes in the floor and broken pieces of stairs. Taking the steps on his hands and knees was not only easier but safer. He didn't want to risk falling through one of those holes. It was slow going, but he was doing it.

Rukia cried out as Yagi kicked her in the stomach. She faced him with a battle cry and swung her sword again. She missed but flipped around in the air to avoid being hit again by her enemy. Yagi used his weapon to block her attack and sent her backwards.

"Tusgi no mai, Hakuren!"

Yagi avoided the blast aimed at his body and swung at Rukia's chest. She jumped back to avoid it.

Then something caught her eye. Spiky orange hair. She turned away from Yagi, hoping she was mistaken.

"Rukia!" Ichigo yelled, standing on the fifth floor where there was nothing to offer him cover. The walls of the fifth floor were missing and so was the ceiling. There was nothing there but a floor and even that looked ready to give way.

"What the hell are you doing?!" she yelled down to him. "Get the hell back inside!"

He was in no condition to fight anyone. Even a rabbit would pose a challenge to him. Ichigo could barely stand on his own two feet. He kept wobbling and swaying, holding onto the broken remains of the wall for support. He kept his head bowed, looking like he was ready to vomit again.

"Pay attention to me, girl," said Yagi. "Pay him no mind. I'll get to him in a moment."

Rukia faced him and fired a shard of ice at his head from the tip of her blade in anger. He easily dodged, showing no signs of fear. Yagi dashed forward and kicked Rukia in the stomach with his knee. She flew backwards with Yagi already pursuing her.

Ichigo saw this and moved closer to help. "Rukia." His vision wavered. He stood weakly, trying to maintain balance. He started to stagger, moving dangerously close to the edge of the building without realizing it. He managed to catch himself before going any closer and looked back at the fight. Lifting his head made him feel dizzy again and he fell to his knees.

Rukia used Kido to combat Yagi. She tried to bind him but her Kido would not reach. He was moving too much. Before she knew it, he was in her face and slashed at her with his sword-like weapon.

From below, Ichigo saw the attack happen and Rukia's sleeve open like a parting curtain, revealing her bare arm. Thinking she was sliced open, Ichigo jumped to his feet, desperate to help. "Ruki..."

Standing too fast had made his head spin. He wobbled, his vision fading again. He was so dizzy. He stepped, trying to maintain balance, and stepped over the edge of the building. His foot touched air and he plummeted straight down.

The moment Rukia caught sight of Ichigo falling straight down, Rukia froze. "Ichigo!" She should have never left him alone so close to stairs. She should have known he would try to climb them and get to higher ground. She should have known simply telling him to stay put would be pointless. Of course he would do it anyway. There was no stopping him. Leaving him in such a condition in a high place was foolish. She thought he wasn't able to move so she figured it would be alright. She should have taken into consideration the strength of his determination. He would push himself until it happened. "That idiot..!"

Yagi saw Ichigo fall and smiled. Rukia abandoned their fight and hurried to catch him. Yagi slammed into her from the side and sent her into the building so hard it started to crack on impact behind her. Rukia yelped in pain.

Ichigo hit the ground hard. Yagi saw the whole thing. He came over and observed Ichigo's condition. He was alive but unable to move.

Their eyes met.

Yagi smiled. "It appears you can't move."

Ichigo couldn't respond. He could only breathe, laying flat on his back in the dirt.

"I don't think it's from the fall. It's because you're still suppressing the transformation. Correct?" Yagi looked him over, amused. "It would be so much easier if you just let it happen. You wouldn't have to go through this pain. It's only a matter of time before your strength runs out. Then you'll have no choice. You're just killing yourself faster. You're wasting all your strength. Just look around, Ichigo. You in this state, fighting back... Your friends are trying to protect you because you're too weak to do it yourself. Are you really protecting them by holding back?"

Icigo hated to admit it, but Yagi was right. As a Hollow, he was a dangerous threat to them. Suppressing it and being himself, he was putting them out because he was in a weakened state and had to be protected. No matter what his friends would be in danger.

Yagi pointed his weapon at Ichigo's throat. "A bit of pain might do the trick. If I injure you, you might Hollowfy. I'm willing to try to trigger a transformation. Now don't move..." Yagi chuckled at his own joke. "Not that you could."

Move? He couldn't even speak. Ichigo was completely helpless.

He kept his eye on the weapon Yagi was raising. Just as he was about to use it, something tackled Yagi from the side and rolled away from Ichigo's vision.

Yagi felt two arms around his waist and a body pressed against his. Someone had tackled him, but who? Yagi hit the ground and felt someone turn him over and straddle him.

Crying out in anger, Veneno punched Yagi across the face. He held Yagi down with one hand and punched him with the other. The weight of his body on Yagi's made it impossible for him to roll over or get up. Veneno punched him again, hard. Yagi blocked his next strike with his arm. Veneno hit Yagi's arm so hard, it caused his hand to go backwards and into his jaw. Yagi blocked again with both hands and held Veneno's fist still.

Their eyes met. Veneno breathed blood-lust through his teeth. His eyes were filled with hatred. He intended to kill Yagi. He wanted to cause him as much harm as possible. He wouldn't let Yagi go without inflicting some kind of injury.

Yagi turned his wrist towards Veneno. At close range, he fired a single arrow. Veneno dodged by turning his body to the side. This is what Yagi wanted. With Veneno leaning to one side, it was easy for Yagi to push him off and get up.

"You're upset over nothing," Yagi told him. "I am not going to inject Ichigo again. Just poke the bear a little. If I get him agitated enough or inflict injury, it could cause him to Hollowfy. Which is what I want."

"It changes nothing," said Veneno. "Injecting him again or not doesn't matter to me. The damage is done."

Ichigo was already subjected to experimentation. That's what Veneno had issue with. Yagi had experimented on Ichigo. That was unforgivable. Veneno would never want such a fate for his dearest friend. Yagi was his enemy for that reason alone. No one put his friends through the hell he had to endure. No one.

Ichigo screamed and the air began to change around them. Spirit Energy surrounded Ichigo like electricity and exploded.

Veneno turned away from his enemy to look at his friend. "Ichigo!"

Ichigo's body had changed into his Hollow form and was already trying to get to his feet to finish what he started.

"Well," said Yagi smugly, "I guess I didn't have to do much to trigger it at all. Looks like he couldn't hold on a second longer."

Standing so close to Ichigo in this state put Yagi in danger as well. Ichigo's beastly form could not differentiate between friend and foe. Everyone was an enemy and everyone was a target. If Yagi stayed, he would become a target of Ichigo's unprovoked wrath.

"Ta." Yagi flashed away and kept going. Now that Ichigo had changed, there was nothing more Yagi needed to do. Ichigo would do everything for him while he remained somewhere safe.

Veneno backed up, sensing just how destructive Ichigo was. Rukia appeared beside him and asked if he was alright. "I'm fine," Veneno told her.

When Rukia examined him, she knew he was putting on a front. Veneno wasn't putting pressure on his left leg and his right was wobbling under his weight. Both his legs were damaged. She knew Veneno had been cut but those injuries were already on the mend. Being an Arrancar gave Veneno amazing healing ability but not all wounds were the same. Injury to the bone and inner organs took longer to heal. Flesh wounds would heal in minutes but his bones would take longer. He was in no condition to fight.

"What about the others?" Rukia asked him. "Did you see Renji?"

Veneno shook his head. "I didn't notice him." Though Veneno had to pass by where Yagi and Renji were fighting, he hadn't gone straight through that area. He took a different path to get here.

"And the others?"

Veneno didn't answer. Instead, he looked away to the path he had taken.

Being on his back made it harder for Ichigo to get to his feet but he managed to to roll onto his shoulder and pushed himself up from there. He was sluggish but still dangerous.

"We have to get out of here," said Rukia.

"I'm not leaving him-"

"You're too hurt to fight him," Rukia told Veneno. "Besides, there's nothing we can do until a cure is found. All we can do is distract him and keep him away from people. Other than that, there is nothing we can do."

He knew she was right, but he still didn't want to leave his friend. Neither of them did, but someone had to take charge and pull the other away. That responsibility fell to Rukia. She helped drag Veneno away from Ichigo before he caught sight of them and attacked.

Further away she found Cedric carrying Renji in his arms. He was still alive and conscious. He was badly injured but he would live. Rukia was about to ask about the other two Soul Reapers when she heard moaning. They appeared stumbling behind Cedric like a couple of zombies. Their eyes were glowing yellow like those of a Hollow.

"Is this why you didn't answer when I asked you?" Rukia scolded Veneno.

He didn't look ashamed but he did apologize. "They were hurt and there was no way they would heal in time and we couldn't transport them back in their condition. So I might have turned them into Hollow Reapers to give them a speedy healing ability. Sue me."

Veneno still possessed the power to infect those he touched with a bizarre virus that would cause them to Hollowfy at a slow pace. They weren't true Hollows and most lacked any intellect so they were more like zombies with Hollow powers when they were first infected. Over time, the infection would advance and the infected would become more Hollow-like and very strong. Veneno could chose when and who to infect and he could just as easily remove the infection. He had promised not to use it again unless the situation called for it and he had to cure the people he infected. So far, Veneno had kept to those terms.

He had once infected nearly all of the Seireitei so Rukia knew how dangerous it could be. It also seemed that the Hollow Reapers could then infect other people they touched, spreading the virus to many others. However, once Veneno was revived, his infection seemed to have changed. It mutated so that only Veneno could infect people rather than him and everyone he infected. No one was sure why this was, but it made his infection less frightening. Rukia even wanted to ask Veneno if this was by choice and that he could control if the victims were contagious or not, or just a mutation as a result of his revival. No one could explain why this was. Mayuri had wanted to run some additional tests to see why this had occurred but upon Veneno being grated freedom, Mayuri was forbidden to do any further tests or experiments on Veneno. The Arrancar's freedom to go where he pleased without confrontation included freedom from Mayuri and his experiments.

Veneno removed the infection from the two Soul Reapers and they returned to normal, woozy but unharmed. Their injuries were healed and they were able to make the journey back to the Seireitei on their own. There was still argument over leaving Ichigo alone, but the Soul Reapers gave them the bottom line.

"Our orders were to observe Kurosaki's condition and report back. That was it. We were not given permission to engage or do anything else. We have to follow orders. We were not told to do anything else and therefore shouldn't. Besides, we have to report back as soon as possible or there will be consequences. We already have a Lieutenant down and no means to restrain Kurosaki. There is nothing more we can do here."

"We must go back."

Rukia looked at Renji and at Veneno barely standing. Neither of them could continue. They needed rest and medical attention. She tried to convince Veneno to leave with them and after a while, Veneno agreed. He hitched a ride on Cedric's back and they raced back to the Seireitei, Ichigo's roars at their backs.

* * *

Please review! ^-^


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter: 15**

Very few knew Ichigo's condition or his whereabouts. Those who were aware wanted to keep it quiet. Most of the Seireitei were still dealing with those injured during the battle. Those Yaku had zapped with his mirror were still depressed and unwilling to move. Hitsugaya's leg was healed well enough for him to leave the infirmary and return to his desk for paperwork. Renji took his bed in the infirmary and rest and have his injuries mended.

In the meantime, the two Soul Reapers delivered their report to the Head Captain, telling him everything. The situation looked grim but there was a glimmer of hope. They told the Head Captain that Ichigo had indeed regained control and suppressed his Hollow. This proved that Ichigo wasn't lost. He was still in there and could be brought back. He could be cured. This was hopeful news. Unfortunately, the rest of Ichigo's condition was bleak. His weakness, his fever... He was getting worse by the minute and this was very troubling.

So much so that the Head Captain called a meeting. The Captains would meet and discuss the next step to take. Their meeting would take place soon and no one else was allowed to attend.

Cedric went to check on Linnette and make sure she was taken care of. With everyone so worried about Ichigo, Cedric offered to go back to his location and monitor him. Rukia was concerned about Cedric's well-being. Even he needed some rest. He informed Rukia that he would not engage Ichigo unless necessary. He would keep his distance and just watch. This way he could have his eye on Ichigo and gather any new information should it present itself. Something could happen and unless there was someone there to see it occur, no one would know what it was.

Cedric gave Linnette a hug and hurried off.

Rukia went to see how a cure was progressing with Mayuri. She went to the lab with Veneno who was still weak but able to walk. Mayuri was less than happy to have people pressing their noses in on his business. He threw a tray at Rukia's head when she entered which Victor skillfully caught in his hand before it could reach her.

"Questions, questions..." Mayuri muttered angrily. "If I had a cure, don't you think I would have come told you? No, I do not have one and the longer you keep pestering me, the longer it's going to take."

Victor pulled Rukia aside to whisper to her. "I suggested we confer with Kisuke on the subject and he threw a fit. I'm not sure what sort of relationship they have, but I've decided it's best if I don't mention his name again."

"I wouldn't." Mayuri already had a few choice words for Kisuke, but in addition to an obvious rivalry, Mayuri did not want to be compared to Kisuke. He certainly didn't want to hear about how Kisuke could do something he could not or how Kisuke had done it better. It was a point of pride.

"Nemu, get over here!"

Rukia thought it was best to stay out of his way when he was agitated like this. Clearly he was having problems. As he worked, Mayuri explained that he managed to isolate certain components in the serum Ichigo was injected with thanks to the samples they brought back. So far, very little of it was useful. He had to understand every bit of what went into the serum to come up with a cure. Extracting the ingredients was one thing. That was the easy part. Coming up with a cure for it was the tricky part. That's what was taking so long.

Veneno grew uncomfortable in Mayuri's lab and made a break for the door. His weak legs made it difficult to move quickly so rather than flash away he walked at a brisk pace. On his way out he ran into a familiar face.

Akon stopped short, carrying a box of tools in his arms. He set the box down and came closer to the Arrancar. His face showed a rare but caring smile. "Veneno."

"Hey, Akon."

"Wow," Akon said with a chuckle. He looked Veneno up and down. "It's been so long. You look good. How have you been?"

"Alright."

Akon chuckled again. "It's great to see you. I thought about you often after you left. I hoped you were doing well. Being in Hueco Mundo seemed appropriate. Thought you would be comfortable there among your own kind. Have you met any Arrancars there? Make any friends?"

Veneno shrugged. "Not exactly. A lot of the Hollows there just want to fight and eat. I cut down a lot of them. Others don't really want to be bothered. It's not so bad. And I have a place I like to hang out. It's got shelter hidden away so if things get nasty I can just chill there for a while until it blows over. No one's found me yet."

It was a happy reunion. Akon had missed Veneno and Veneno missed the man who took care of him all this time. After two years they were still good friends.

"I'm glad you're doing well," said Akon. "I'm happy things are going well. No problems, right? You're eating well and you're feeling ok? You still appear very strong."

Veneno grew nervous. "Um, yeah. Listen, about that..." Veneno looked around and came closer, lowering his voice. "There's something I want to tell you. I didn't want to say anything to Mayuri and you're the only other one who was close to me and knew about me still being alive. I trust you."

Akon was happy to know that Veneno trusted him and intrigued at what Veneno had to say. He moved closer so Veneno could speak to him without anyone hearing.

Without a cure, Rukia had no reason to stay in the lab. She didn't want to slow the process any further. "Veneno, we're going."

Rukia stopped short, seeing Veneno speaking with Akon. When she called out, they jumped away from each other. Akon looked surprised and slightly troubled and Veneno looked nervous and unsure. Rukia saw this and grew curious.

"Everything alright?"

"Yeah, fine."

Akon nodded and picked up the box of tools. "I'm going back to work. If the Captain needs me, tell him I'm doing the work he's put on hold while he's working on whatever project you gave him."

"So you haven't been told what he's doing?" asked Rukia.

"Of course I know. I've been helping him. I just don't want to say anything too loud for the ones who don't know." Akon continued on his way. "See you." On his way, he stopped and whispered to Veneno, "Don't worry about it."

Rukia was very curious. "What was that about?"

"Nothing," Veneno said softly. He was dwelling on a thought he would never reveal to her. Rukia knew this just by the look on his face.

* * *

The meeting for the Captains began. Linnette who had been in Ukitake's care was left alone in his office with more than enough sweets and games to keep her occupied. When Ukitake left her, she was playing a card game by herself with a half-eaten cookie next to her on the table. Ukitake was uncomfortable about leaving her by herself but figured if she was bored she would take a nap on his couch or flag down a Soul Reaper passing by in the hall.

They jumped right into business and went over all the information they had gathered about Ichigo's condition. Every detail was shared and discussed. Afterward, the floor was open for the Captains to debate what the next step should be and what actions should be taken.

"We've established that Ichigo can change back so that means that this isn't permanent. Which is good. It means he isn't lost and that also means that there is a cure for him. He can be cured."

"But so far there isn't one, Captain Komamura," said Soi Fon. "How is that coming along, Captain Kurotsuchi?"

"If people would stop pestering me with nonsense, it would go a lot faster. Results are being delayed because of things like this. Let's wrap up this meeting so I can get back to business. Or better yet, let me leave and you can continue."

"Are you even close to any results?" asked Soi Fon.

"As of now, no."

The Head Captain didn't like the sound of that. "I see. When I granted you the assignment to find a cure, I expected better results than this."

"Don't blame me for you deciding to hold a meeting during such a time."

"It isn't that. From the sound of things, it seems that you may be unable to actually have a cure for Kurosaki at all. That is what troubles me."

The Captains grew worried. If Mayuri was unable to discover a cure, then hopes of saving Ichigo were lost. If that were the case then they would have no choice but to kill him, like a dog with rabies.

"That Quincy mentioned that he alone held a cure," said Ukitake. "Which is why Rukia and the others have been refining from killing him. Until an actual cure is found, we must keep him alive as a back-up."

"He could have been making that up to save himself," said Hitsugaya. "He knows that we are desperate to save Ichigo so he will give us false hope to keep himself safe from us. We know our enemy isn't above lying."

"We have to face the possibility that the Quincy is just saying that so we won't attack him. There's no way we can prove he has one or not. We just have to take his word for it," said Shunsui. "Even if we captured him and tortured him, it's likely that any information we get out of him, if at all, could be a lie. Torture doesn't breed truth, you know. He'll probably say anything to get us to stop. Cure or no cure, I don't trust anything this guy says."

"But if this guy doesn't have a cure and we can't come up with one then Ichigo's done for," said Kensei.

"We have to come up with something," added Rojuro.

"Ichigo has changed back twice so far on record," said Byakuya. "How long he can keep that up in unknown. It was also brought to our attention that the more Kurosaki resists his transformation, the weaker he will become. Logically, that means that eventually, he'll be too weak to change back. If that happens, the decision may be made for us. If he cannot return on his own, it may mean that he is beyond hope and cannot be cured at that point."

"Him being unable to change back doesn't mean that the real Ichigo was swallowed up. He could still be in there trying to get out," said Shinji. "Let's not jump to any conclusions. You're assuming too much."

"What isn't an assumption is the fact that Ichigo is in a bad way and we're nowhere near able to help him," said Hitsugaya. "It's pretty obvious, I think. Clearly the enemy lured Ichigo away and injected him with that toxin not for the sake of turning him into a Hollow but because he knew we would try to cure him. We're focusing on him."

"It also means that the enemy intended to use Ichigo in his Hollow form to attack us," said Shinji. "Clearly that was their goal. They intend to use Ichigo to attack us knowing we would be reluctant to kill him. But there's more to it than that. It's the fact that they consider Ichigo so much of a threat that they want him dead. That's the real thing that's going on here. Either Ichigo dies from the drug they gave him or we kill him."

"Either to end his suffering or to defend ourselves," Soi Fon finished. "If they consider Kurosaki that much of a threat, why not kill him themselves? Why go through all this trouble?"

"Either because they cannot do it themselves, fearing his strength... or because they want Ichigo to kill as many of us as possible," said Hitsugaya. "If they see Ichigo as a threat, they might not be willing to attack him directly."

"But directly inject him with a drug," said Kenpachi.

"These Quincies are all over the place. Do we even know what their goal is?"

"All we know for certain is that they want Ichigo dead and as many Soul Reapers as possible. They want the Seireitei to fall so they can take over."

The Head Captain banged his sword on the ground to get their attention. "So what should we do about the situation? What of Ichigo's condition should it get worse? If there is no cure?"

It wasn't an easy answer.

"In the event that a cure cannot be found..." said Byakuya. "We may have no choice but to kill him."

"Are you serious?" said Shinji.

"You almost sound like you want-"

"It is not something I want. It's simply what must happen should it come to that," said Byakuya. "If he cannot be cured or brought back, why must we keep a dangerous Hollow around? It's a ticking time bomb."

"I have to agree with Captain Kuchiki," said Unohana. "In the event Ichigo cannot be cured, I see no other way. We may have no choice in the matter."

"What it all comes down to is us killing Ichigo or him killing us," said Hitsugaya. "That is no doubt what the enemy wants and has wanted from the start."

"And no doubt once Ichigo is out of the way, they'll move in and attack now that they think their biggest threat is gone," said Shunsui. "Basically we'll be doing the work for them. They want Ichigo dead along with as many of us as possible. No matter what, they want to dwindle our numbers. They mean to weaken us."

"If Ichigo proves to be too much of a threat to us and other innocent people, we may have to kill him regardless," said Soi Fon. "There are too many lives at stake. One life cannot be compared to the many thousands... Even if it is Kurosaki."

"Ichigo has been a great help to us," said Ukitake. "He's done so much for us. He's our friend."

"But as a Hollow he is an enemy and a dangerous threat. If he cannot come back from that, he can no longer be considered a friend."

"We're talking about a big 'if' here. We may be worrying about nothing. So long as Ichigo can change back, there's a chance. And Mayuri is still working on a cure. We have options. We're just talking about the worse-case scenario."

Byakuya took notice of a certain Captain's turned head. "Is everything alright, Captain Hirako?"

Shinji looked back. "Huh? Y- yeah."

"You seem distracted."

"I was just trying to figure out what that was. It's pretty distracting."

Byakuya gave him a strange look. "Figure out what exactly?"

"That." Shinji was quiet. The other Captains had grown quiet as well. Shinji looked around. "You don't hear that?"

"Hear what?" asked Soi Fon.

"Hey, I hear it, too," said Rojuro.

"You, too, Captain Ohtoribashi?"

"Yeah." Rojuro cupped his hands around his ears. "It's faint but I can hear it."

The other Captains listened but most were left confused.

"I don't hear anything."

"I hear it now, too," chimed in Kensei. "Listen. What the hell is that?"

No one else could hear it. Only those three Captains.

"Well, what is it?" Soi Fon asked impatiently. "What are you hearing?"

"I still can't believe you can't hear that," said Kensei.

"Describe it."

"Hm..." Kensei listened carefully. "It's... Um... How the hell do I describe it?"

Shinji listened, his eyed directed toward the ceiling as if he heard it all around him. "It sounds kind of familiar..." He could swear he heard it before.

Rojuro started to grin. "It's pretty... Like a song."

"A song?"

Ukitake had his suspicions but remained quiet.

Shinji let a hiss pass through his lips. "It's beautiful..." His eyes started to turn gold.

Kensei and Rojuro's eyes were starting to do the same. They froze with their heads turned towards the sky.

They heard the message very clear. It said come.

Heeding the call, all three turned and raced to the door.

"Where are you going?"

They didn't turn around to answer. They left the meeting room and sprinted down the long corridor like wolves on the hunt.

* * *

Linnette sat crouch on the floor singing her song where no one would find her. She was far from guards and Soul Reapers seemed to avoid this hallway leading to nowhere. There were no rooms along the walls so she assumed this hallway led to somewhere private. She had seen the Captains use this path on their way to the meeting so it seemed like the perfect place to hide and wait. If she got any closer, she feared she would run into guards who would apprehend her or send her back to Ukitake's office with an escort.

She had to do this. She knew this was where she had to be.

She heard running footsteps and saw three Captains gallop towards her. Their feet slid on the polished floor as they screeched to a halt before her. At once, they dropped to their knees as if bowing to her, but actually they did it to be closer to her level since she was sitting on the ground. Their eyes were all glowing gold and the whites of their eyes had turned black. The Hollows had taken control of their bodies to answer Linnette's call.

"What is it that you want?" they asked her in a sinister yet affectionate tone.

Taking a deep breath, Linnette took charge of the Captains. "You were just in a meeting with other Captains. You know what was said, so tell me. Tell me, did they talk about Ichigo?"

They nodded. "Yes, hummingbird," answered Rojuro. "They did. He was a popular topic in the meeting."

"Are they going to hurt him?" Linnette asked. "What are they going to do to Ichigo?"

"Nothing has been decided yet," said Kensei. "It's just talk at this point."

"But they said that if Ichigo becomes too violent or in the event that a cure cannot be found, they are going to have to kill him," said Shinji.

"Oh, no..." Linnette felt sick to her stomach. She couldn't help feeling that this was all her fault. If only she hadn't gotten hurt, Ichigo wouldn't felt the need to go after the enemy to save her life. Rather than feel happy that Ichigo cared so much about her that he was willing to sacrifice himself to save her, she felt sad. She felt guilty. This was all because of her.

She wasn't going to have him pay for her mistakes or for her weaknesses. Linnette couldn't allow Ichigo to be killed for trying to help her. She was going to do everything she could to make sure his heroic actions weren't punished with death. He didn't deserve such a fate. Though Linnette knew she wasn't strong, after speaking with Ukitake she realized that there were things she could still do to help. Maybe she couldn't fight, but she was capable of other things. She was going to do everything she could to help Ichigo. She had to protect him now.

"Listen to me," she told the Captains. "I don't want Ichigo to get hurt. Please, don't let them kill him. Do whatever you can to make sure they don't kill Ichigo."

"Everything we can... You got it."

Linnette realized the loophole and had to take care of it. A Hollow was still a Hollow and they had urges and looked for any excuse to do what they did best. There was a big risk in telling them to do 'anything' they could.

"But don't kill. I don't want you to hurt any of the Soul Reapers. Just make sure they don't kill Ichigo."

That was more specific and less dangerous.

They looked slightly disappointed at this request but they remained faithful to her every wish. If she didn't want people harmed, then they would not be harmed. If Ichigo was in danger of being killed by a Soul Reaper, they would have to find another way to stop them without killing them.

"Consider it done," said Kensei.

"Not a problem," said Rojuro.

"As you wish," said Shinji.

"Good," said Linnette. "So we're clear? You will keep Ichigo safe and you will not harm any Soul Reapers?"

"Understood," they said in unison.

"Excellent." Giving them that order brought her some reassurance. She trusted that they would keep Ichigo safe. "Ok, now let the real Captains take back control. I'll call you when I need you again."

Linnette got to her feet and hurried off, the Hollow versions of the Captains bidding her farewell until their next meeting. She had to get back to Ukitake's office before anyone realized she was missing.

* * *

Veneno stared out the window to the office he was having dinner in. Being back in the Seireitei was very nostalgic. It was a place of oppression and war and a place of joy and security. This was where he had rampaged and started his own apocalypse. This was where he had family and a home. This place was many things to him. An odd mixture of emotions and memories. An ending and a new beginning.

Ichigo believed in him. He wanted to give Veneno the second chance he was never allowed. He was given a choice. Many choices. He could repeat the same mistakes in his past or do something different this time. He chose to turn Soul Reapers into Hollows. He chose to attack. He chose to start a war. He chose a different path. He chose to be friends. He chose to protect. He chose to be free.

Now he chose to help Ichigo. It was the least he could do. Ichigo had done so much for him. More than anyone ever did. Now that he understood the meaning of friendship, he knew what he had to do. Not just to even the score or because it was expected. He wanted to do it.

Veneno was compelled to help Ichigo not only because of the past and because of their friendship. It was a personal matter. Ichigo had been subjected to painful experimentation against his will. That struck a core in Veneno. It made everything even more personal to him. Of course he would have been upset if this happened to some stranger and he would sympathize with them, but he actually knew Ichigo and they were friends. Great friends. Ichigo was his best friend. That made experimenting on him even worse. It made Veneno furious.

He had to do something.

Veneno rubbed his sore legs. His injuries have healed but the pain was still there. He would be sore for a while but he was able to run again without causing further damage to his legs.

Veneno set the apple core down on the table and stood up. He was finished eating. He was rested, healed and fed. He was ready for action. Veneno approached the window and looked outside. It was sunset. It would be dark soon and Ichigo would be out there under the stars. Stars they once gazed upon together.

"I'm coming, Ichigo. I'll help you." Veneno wanted to save him. He wasn't sure what he could do and he didn't have a plan, but he couldn't stay here for another second.

Veneno opened the window. He didn't leave. He was thinking.

He couldn't be too impulsive. He had to think this through. The group had explained that there was a danger in killing Yagi and Ichigo was beyond reason. The Captains were holding a meeting to discuss what to do about Ichigo's condition. A cure was in the making but wasn't near completion.

What would happen if he left? What could he do for Ichigo? What could he do?

Veneno looked back at the office mulling it over in his mind. He remembered what he had told Akon when they met in the lab only a few hours ago. He felt a little better after speaking with him but he wasn't put at ease. He had several concerns and felt he could only share them with Akon. Out of everyone, Akon was the only one he not only trusted but knew about his revival. He was a caretaker and a good friend. Mayuri might know but Veneno didn't trust him. He trusted his friends but they wouldn't have a clue. Akon was the only one who met both requirements.

Akon had told him not to worry about it. He didn't seem to be alarmed by what Veneno told him. Maybe there was nothing to worry about.

Veneno made his decision. He was going to do it.

Outside Ukitake looked up and saw Veneno leap from the open window above his head and jump from building to building. There was no doubt in the Captain's mind that he was going after Ichigo. He understood that they had a strong bond. Ukitake couldn't blame him. He prayed for his safety and entered the building.

Ukitake went straight to his office and found Linnette sitting at the table in the center of the room playing cards by herself. She smiled at him when he entered. "Hi."

"Hello, Linnette."

Linnette started to pack up the cards. "How was the meeting?"

"Oh, it went well." Ukitake stood beside her chair, leaning on the table with one hand. "Odd thing, though. Towards the end of the meeting, three Captains suddenly wanted to leave and ran for the door. They said they heard something that sounded a lot like music but none of us could hear it."

Linnette kept her head turned so he couldn't see her face.

"You wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you?"

"I might."

Ukitake smiled. "I thought so. It's alright. Don't worry about it. No one's upset." He leaned down to be closer to her. "Just to let you know... In the future, you might want to wait until after the meeting is over to interrogate the Captains who attended. That way you won't lure them away before the meeting is over and risk missing important information."

Linnette looked at him, embarrassed. "Oh." She hadn't thought of that.

Her plan wasn't the most thought through. She thought by doing what she had done, how she did it, would give her a better chance of not being caught. She also knew where all the Captains were so she wouldn't have to track them down after the meeting. She also had no idea when the meeting would be over. She thought it was a good plan. Thinking back, she realized it had many flaws.

"Don't worry. You're still learning. And we were just about to end so there's no missed information."

"I figured that since you were having a private meeting with only Captains and that since I'm not a Soul Reaper, I wouldn't be involved so there are two reasons why I didn't think you would have told me what went on in the meeting even if I asked you."

"That's why you lured away the Captains with Hollow powers."

Linnette nodded. "I did that for a couple reasons. But mostly that, yeah."

She knew that even if the Captains refused to divulge any information to her, their Hollow counterparts would. She also knew that they would obey her if she told them to do something. Even if she asked a Captain what happened during the meeting and were truthful about it, it didn't mean that they would listen to her when she told them not to hurt Ichigo. Especially if the Head Captain ordered it. If she ordered the Hollows, they would obey her command, even if it went against the Head Captain's wishes.

That part of her plan she thought through.

"Don't worry," Ukitake told her. "I know you're worried about Ichigo and you're not the only one. We're all doing our best to help him. We don't want it to come to that either. That's why we're doing all we can."

No one wanted Ichigo to die. No one wanted to be forced to kill him.

They could only hope it wouldn't come to that.

"I'll be right back," said Ukitake. "I have to see Shunsui for a moment."

"Ok."

Ukitake left his office but didn't have to travel far to speak with his friend. Shunsui agreed to meet him in the same building only in a different room. Ukiatke went down the hall and into the corner office where he found Shunsui standing in front of the window. "What's on your mind, my friend?"

Shunsui didn't turn his attention away from the window. "I saw Veneno leave just a few moments ago. It's safe to say he's going after Ichigo. For what purpose, I don't know."

"When a friend is in trouble, you don't always think. All he knows is that he has to be with him and do whatever he can to help him."

"What can he do to help him? I doubt he has a plan."

"Who knows? He may have an important role to play. Ichigo may need him and Veneno will be there when it happens. What else can we hope for?"

Shunsui kept looking out the window.

"You're worried about him?"

"I'm worried about a lot of things, Jushiro. Things that were brought up, hinted at and never addressed." Shunsui sighed. "The meeting focused on Ichigo, but there's a greater threat out there."

"The Quincy and his comrades. I know. It bothers me, too." Ukitake joined him at the window. "We've seen their power. We were unprepared. They made us look weak. So much so that I started to doubt our abilities. I always felt we were strong but after what happened... Are we just arrogant or cocky in our abilities? Do we trust too much in ourselves and think we cannot improve because we are strong? Maybe we're too comfortable. After Aizen's defeat it's been pretty quiet. I suppose we were fooled into thinking the worst was behind us. That after he was defeated there was nothing else out there. Just as bad or worse."

"That may have something to do with it. Or maybe our enemy is just that strong. There's only four or five of them and look what they managed to do all by themselves. We outnumber them yet we were being pushed back. Whether or not we knew they were coming, we should have been prepared." Shunsui kept looking out the window. "That's what worries me. More than Ichigo, it's them. I'm disappointed it was never addressed during the meeting. We were too focused on Ichigo that we seemed to have forgotten about them."

"About what exactly?" asked Ukitake.

"Captain Hitsugaya started to bring it up but we all got sidetracked. But it's a little of everything that was said. About how they want to weaken us. How the enemy sees Ichigo as the biggest threat and seek to eliminate him. By turning Ichigo into a Hollow and have him attack us, they're killing two birds with one stone. Either we kill Ichigo or he kills us. Either way, Ichigo's going to end up dead. The transformation will kill him of we don't do it before that happens."

Ukitake looked at the floor. "You're right. That is troubling. We have to cure him soon. Not just for our sake but his as well. And we even brought up the possibility of the cure being nonsense the Quincy was spouting to save himself. Which is why we must come up with a cure. Even if he had one, I doubt he would tell us and if he did we cannot trust his word. It could be a lie or poison or who knows?"

"All that stuff bothers me but we're still not calling attention to the one thing no one discussed," said Shunsui. "It's about the Quincies themselves. We know how powerful they are and we've seen the damage they can do. What we haven't seen is them. Not for a while. We're so focused on Ichigo that we seem to have lost sight of them. What better distraction than Ichigo at this point? While we're trying to do something about him, what's stopping them from coming here a second time?"

It was a real threat no one really brought up during the meeting. Shunsui was right.

"To make matters even worse, Old Man Yama wants to dispatch a group to go after Ichigo and keep him busy. Even wear him down so he won't be able to cause too much destruction. But of we send people, especially Captains, out there to do something about Ichigo, there are less to cover us here should something happen. That's what bothers me the most. We'll be vulnerable. The more we have out there, the less we have in here. I'm thinking those Quincies are going to come back here while we're busy with Ichigo. Or even worse, if we send Captains out there, the Quincies could pick them off one by one along with Ichigo. It's messy."

"Did you warn the Head Captain about this?"

"I'm sure he already knows. But it's not like he can just sit around and let Ichigo do what he wants out there. We have people to protect. Ichigo could kill somebody. Either way Old Man Yama is going to have to send someone out there at some point. We can't just wait this out. Something has to be done. I just hope whoever he sends is going to be able to hold their own and not get themselves killed. Or kill Ichigo. We weren't given the order yet but someone might have their own initiatives."

Ukitake joined Shunsui looking out the window at the setting sun. "This whole thing is a mess," he said sadly.

* * *

Please review! ^-^


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter: 16**

Cedric remained with Ichigo all night, engaging only when needed. He remained out of the way and watched him. Ichigo grew sluggish at times and dragged himself across the ground, his growls turning to pained moans. He looked like a wounded animal. Cedric felt sorry for him. He wondered how much longer Ichigo would last. To the best of his knowledge, this was the longest Ichigo had been in a Hollowfied state. What it was doing to his body was an unpleasant mystery.

"Hold on, Ichigo. Help will come."

* * *

Veneno kept running. He didn't look back once. He tried to sense Ichigo's location. His Spirit Energy was strong and easy to pinpoint when he was in this state. He knew where Ichigo was. He was getting closer to the Seireitei but he was still a great distance away.

The Spirit Energy was getting stronger but Veneno moved away from where he sensed it. He had his sights set for a different prize.

He had enough time to think before he left and while he was running. He knew there was nothing he could do for Ichigo directly. He would have to fight him. That's what it would come down to. Ichigo would attack him and Veneno would have to fight back if he wanted to live. He couldn't go to Ichigo now. It wasn't the time. He was going to help him and now he knew how. At least, he thought he did. It was a theory and a long shot but he was going to give it a try.

The only draw back was that Linnette wouldn't be there to assist him and he would need her for this plan to work. He knew her protectors would never allow her to go anywhere without them and they certainly would never allow her to be in his care. He had to hold off on Linnette for now. He knew he would run into problems but decided to cross that bridge when he came to it.

* * *

It was very early and most of the Seireitei was still asleep. Even Linnette was sound asleep on the couch in Ukitake's office.

Very quietly, two Captains were dispatched to Ichigo's location. There wasn't a set plan other than to make sure he was no danger to people in that area. They knew Cedric was in that area and had not heard form him in a long time. Even without hearing from him, they knew he needed backup.

Soi Fon and Shinji were sent out before the sun rose to be that backup. They were also informed that whenever Ichigo returned to normal, the Quincy Yagi would appear. When that happened, they would apprehend him. That was the plan at least. A number of things could go wrong.

Many wondered how Yagi knew where Ichigo was and when he regained control over his own body. Soi Fon theorized that it was the change in Ichigo's Spiritual Pressure. Yagi must have been in the area and appeared when the change occurred. That was the best guess they had.

They arrived at Ichigo's location after the sun had risen. He was still in Hollow form and very ferocious. This was their first time actually seeing Ichigo in this state. He looked sick. Though large and powerful, Ichigo's Hollow form was looking sluggish and miserable. He huffed and dragged his claws along the ground as he wandered aimlessly across the flat earth.

When Ichigo saw two new opponents, he perked up and no longer looked sluggish. He growled at them and stood tall. He wanted a fight.

"This is bad," said Shinji. "We can't fight him like this. The guy looks sick as a dog, for crying out loud. One misstep and we could take him out."

"Don't be fooled," said Soi Fon. "He may look sick but see how he stood when he saw us. He's still dangerous and we need to take him seriously."

"I know he's a threat, it's just... Look, what I meant was that he's still not in a good way. I didn't mean that we shouldn't take him seriously. We should and would be stupid not to. I'm saying that we need to take it easy on him. We don't want to do something we're going to regret."

"Don't worry. We weren't given orders to kill him."

"I know. I'm just saying we have to be careful."

"If we're not killing him, then we're obviously being careful."

"Captain Soi Fon, we could unintentionally..."

"I know what I'm doing. I won't make a stupid mistake like that. I know how not to kill someone." Soi Fon looked around. "Where is that other guy. The one who was with him. Cedric was his name, right? I don't see him."

Shinji grew worried. Had Ichigo killed someone already?

Growing impatient, Ichigo roared, challenging them. He wanted to fight and he was sick of waiting for them to make a move.

"We can use Kido to hold him in place," said Soi Fon. "Keep him restrained until a cure can be made."

"Kido will only last so long and if you're thinking of putting him in a cage, I doubt it'll work. He'll just bust out."

"If you have a better idea, I'd like to hear it."

"How about dyin', baby?"

Soi Fon and Shinji looked to the right. A Quincy was standing a short distance away with a smug look on his face.

Shinji recognized him and knew not to engage.

Soi Fon did not and pulled out her sword.

"Captain Soi Fon, don't!" Shinji warned.

"It's one of them. He's a Quincy," she reasoned.

"He's not the leader."

"It doesn't matter. I'm taking him out before he tries anything." Soi Fon prepared to sprint.

"Don't cut him!" Shinji yelled so loud it made Ichigo snarl in response. "His name is Zalya. I fought him before. He uses blood as a weapon. If you cut him, he can use his blood to attack you. Even worse, he can do this to anyone who has an open wound. If you cut him or if he cuts you, it's fair game."

Soi Fon lowered her sword. Not cutting would be a challenge in a sword fight. Thankfully, she had other methods.

"Aw, now why'd you have to spoil it?" Zalya grinned wickedly. "I wanted her to find out on her own, baby."

Soi Fon didn't have the patience to listen to this man. She wanted to end the threat here and now. Since this was one of the Quincies who had sent many to Squad 4, she knew how important it was to take him out as soon as possible. There was no point in waiting. If he wasn't the one they wanted, there was no point in keeping him alive. Him being dangerous was even more reason to get rid of him.

"Sting All Enemies To Death!"

"Suzumebachi," Zalya finished for her.

Soi Fon held her weapon in front of her and stared at him in surprise. "How did you know that?" She had never met him before so she was interested in how he knew the name of her Zanpakuto.

"Leader told me," he answered. "Death in two strikes, right? Nasty little thing, baby. Gives me the chills." He held up a finger. "But! Only deadly if you can strike me with it."

Soi Fon took him up on the challenge. "I think I'll be fast enough for you."

She kicked off from the ground and soared at him in a straight line. Her arm extended before her, ready to strike. Zalya was gone in a flash. He was quick. Soi Fon changed direction and came at him again. Zalya kept moving. They both zipped left and right, faster than Shinji's eyes could track. Soi Fon kept her eye on Zalya, refusing to lose sight of him, knowing it could be disastrous.

She had him in her sights. He was so close. He was right in front of her. "Hyah!" Soi Fon jabbed forward and her attack landed...

… square in Ichigo's chest.

"Ah!" Soi Fon pulled away. She was so busy keeping track of Zalya, she hadn't realized he was moving closer and closer to where Ichigo stood. She hit the wrong target.

Ichigo barely felt the stinger enter his body but knew she had attacked him. He roared and slapped the ground with his tail.

"Want to try it again, baby?" asked Zalya. "But be careful this time. Now that you've stung him once, all you need to do to finish him off is hit the exact spot a second time. Shouldn't be too hard, right? I already got you to do it once."

Using Suzumebachi with Ichigo close by was dangerous. She couldn't risk using it again out of fear of hitting Ichigo. Zalya was right. All she had to do was hit him again and it was all over. He would lure her just as he did before and make sure she hit that exact spot again. Or he would have her keep stinging him until he was covered so many times it would be impossible not to hit one of those a second time.

In addition to worrying about that, now she also had to worry about Ichigo moving around and getting in the way. She had to worry about him attacking her as well. Things did not look good.

Shinji had an idea. Kido wouldn't draw blood if it was a restriction technique. They could try holding him in place. Then he remembered the fight with Renji and knew Zalya would still be able to attack. However, that might not be an issue if they restrained him before blood was drawn. That seemed like a good plan.

Shinji was also tempted to use his Zanpakuto against Zalya but confusing his senses would be too risky with Ichigo so close by. If Zalya aimed in any one direction either on purpose or by mistake, it could hit Ichigo. Shinji decided to hold off on using that method until he felt more comfortable with the idea.

In no time, Soi Fon was preparing another attack. If using her Zanpakuto was too much of a risk, then she would resort to hand-to-hand combat. She wasn't reliant on her sword alone in battle. She had other skills she could use.

She flashed away and appeared behind Zalya. She kicked him in the spine, sending him forward. Before he could hit the ground, she appeared in front of him and kicked him back into a standing position.

Zalya smiled as if he were enjoying it. "You like it rough, huh, baby?"

"Shut up!" Soi Fon kicked him again. Then once more in disgust. She hadn't known him for more than a few minutes and she already hated everything about him. His face, his voice, his attitude, his actions, everything. She decided to kick him every time he disgusted her, which was every few seconds. Soon, Soi Fon unleashed a barrage of kicks so the only thing coming out of Zalya's mouth was a constant stream of grunts upon impact.

Then blood.

Shinji saw this and warned Soi Fon to stop.

Hand-to-hand was just as dangerous as fighting with a sword. Blood could still be drawn. Either Soi Fon hadn't considered this or didn't care. Either that or she thought she could beat him without drawing blood, but as it turned out, Zalya was a lot tougher than she had given him credit. He didn't go down at the first few kicks so she had to keep going until he was brought to his knees.

Zalya gathered the blood from his lips and sent it into Soi Fon's shoulder. The blood was like a bullet. It shot straight through her shoulder and out the other side, drawing more blood. That blood was then gathered and shot back at her. Soi Fon was buffeted with her own blood, cutting into her body and inflicting terrible wounds.

"Like it, baby?" Zalya cackled. "Have some more!"

It was a hailstorm of blood. Zalya split the blood bullets into smaller pieces so there would be more to fire. Though the bullets of blood were no bigger than a droplet or the size of a pinhead, they caused serious damage and pain. Soi Fon was being sliced and punctured so many times, she felt like a pincushion. She was shrouded in a mist of blood, her Captain's jacket torn to shreds. Soi Fon kept her arms raised to protect her face and neck. Her arms were sliced so many times they were completely red. She couldn't tell if it was blood or her own flesh being ripped off, exposing muscle. Soon, her arms were no longer able to protect her. He sliced through her tendons, making them useless. Her arms fell.

"And now..." Zalya flicked his finger. "Take that!"

The blood gathered together and formed a long flexible whip. It took a wide curve around Soi Fon and struck at her legs from the side. The blood punctured her calves and circled back for her ankles. Soi Fon fell to the ground unable to stand. Her body would not move.

Zalya stood above her laughing. "This is just too easy, baby!" He started strumming an invisible guitar. "Too easy!"

Soi Fon tried to raise herself up, but her arms were useless. They hung limply at her sides unable to move no matter how much she wanted them to. She could bend her knees but below they were also useless. Moving her toes was a painful attempt. The muscle had been torn and sliced so brutally it was not only painful to try to stand but an impossibility. Unless she could get away on her knees or roll, she was stuck where she lay.

She couldn't believe this all resulted from a few drops of blood. Only a few drops.

With those few drops, he caused more to be shed and gathered it up, making it multiply with every injury he inflicted, no matter how small. Any blood shed would be gathered and added to what he already controlled. He became stronger and stronger whenever someone was injured.

Soi Fon was at his mercy in under two minutes and no blade was ever drawn. Only blood.

Zalya laughed seeing the look on Soi Fon's face. It was loathing. For him and for herself. She was ashamed she had allowed him to put her in such a state. Being brought to the ground like this was insulting.

"Aw, don't look so sad, baby," he told her with a wicked grin on his face. "It's not that I'm making you look weak. It's that you are. I'm just showing you how weak you truly are. You Soul Reapers think you're so tough but you're not. You're fooling yourselves. It's about time someone showed you the truth. We're just that good. That's why we should be in charge. You Soul Reapers don't know what you're doing. You're unfit to rule."

Soi Fon tried to find a way out of this. If she couldn't use her arms then she would have to use her legs but they were useless from the knee down. She wouldn't be able to run or stand. What could she do?

Zalya stepped on Soi Fon's ankle. She refused to give him the satisfaction by crying out but she couldn't help but grimace at the pain. He put pressure on her wound, digging his heel into her flesh but still she wouldn't cry out.

"You Soul Reapers think you're all that," he went on, leaning on her leg. "We've always disagreed with each other. Our methods are just one of the things we disagree on." He put his full weight on her leg and this time she couldn't help the groan escaping from between her teeth.

Shinji had to think of something. If he used Kido, Zalya would still be able to use the blood as a weapon and would be able to break free like the last time he tried to restrain him. Shinji still had a bad feeling he was making the wrong call, but it was the only thing he could think of doing.

Zalya chuckled, seeing Soi Fon in pain. He enjoyed it. "You want to save Ichigo, do you, baby? Why? He's a Hollow now. Why the hell should he be given a chance? He's trying to kill you. All of you. Just like all Hollows. You say we're wrong for eliminating them. That they should be purified. You are so stupid. Can't you see we're right in the way we do things? You Soul Reapers are so weak."

Zalya stopped. He smelled a sweetness in the air. He turned and saw Shinji swinging his Zanpakuto, stirring up the air.

"Trying to confuse me, are you?" He scoffed. "Nice try. But you're wrong once again. See how stupid you are? What does confusing your senses do when you can fire in every possible direction? Like so."

Zalya gathered the blood around him like a cocoon and sent it spinning like a top. The blood suddenly broke away from the mold and fired in every direction. It was like a rapid-firing machine gun. Shinji dove for the ground as the blood came his way. A piece of his jacket was hit, putting holes in the fabric but his body was missed.

Then he heard roaring. Ichigo was hit several times with the blood and was sent into a frenzy. He had been quiet for a while but no more. He charged in to attack Zalya. The blood kept firing and Ichigo was struck again.

The blood hit Soi Fon as well and she curled into a ball to protect herself.

This was becoming too dangerous. Shinji had to undo the technique. He knew he was taking a huge risk and it was a poor choice on his part. He just couldn't stay put and do nothing.

Zalya saw Ichigo coming and rode on the blood to safety. He stood on a board of blood in the air and watched as Ichigo went for Soi Fon instead. Shinji wouldn't be able to reach her in time.

Before Soi Fon could even flinched, Ichigo stopped in his tracks and roared. He looked down at his legs, frozen to the ground. He started to hack away at the ice with his claws.

"You two alright?" Rukia asked, hurrying over.

She wasn't alone. Yumichika and Ikkaku were with her.

Shinji wasn't thrilled to see them. Not with Zalya as their opponent. Anyone from Squad 11 was bad news when facing someone like Zalya. Their whole mission was to draw blood. "Couldn't it have been anyone else?" Shinji moaned.

"Where's Cedric?" Rukia looked around and couldn't find him. She knew he was with Ichigo and hated to think the worst.

"No idea, but don't worry about it." Shinji was more concerned about other things at the moment.

Ichigo roared and lunged at Rukia. She barely missed his teeth. Rolling out of the way, she heard laughing and looked up. The Quincy was watching from above, loving this.

"We entertaining to you or something?" asked Ikkaku.

Zalya shrugged. "Maybe."

"Then why don't you come down here and we'll put on a real show?" Ikkaku's Zanpakuto was already released and waiting to taste blood.

"Don't fight him!" yelled Shinji. "If blood is drawn during battle, he gets stronger. He uses it as a weapon. I'm telling you, don't fight him!"

"And let him do whatever he wants? Fat chance!" Ikkaku was beyond reason. When he set his sights on a fight, he never backed down. Either he didn't care to understand what Shinji was saying about Zalya's power or he took it as a challenge, accepting him as a worthy opponent.

"Just take Captain Soi Fon out of here! She needs medical attention."

Ikkaku wasn't listening. "This guy goes down first, then we'll take care of the rest. Ready, Yumichika?"

"I'll follow you. I know how you like first crack at them."

"Damn straight."

"Listen to me, you two! Don't!"

It was too late. Ikkaku and Yumichika sprang into action and attacked Zalya together. Unleashing battle cries, they each took turns, slashing at Zalya's body. The Quincy grimaced in pain but didn't bother stopping their attacks. He smiled each time they pulled back for another swing.

"That's it, baby. Let it flow."

Blood was everywhere. On the ground, on his clothes, on their blades. Even his attackers were being splashed with his blood. The blood started to coil and twist, rising off the ground and joined the blood Zalya was riding on. The blood coating their weapons started to break away, moving of its own will.

"Your head's next, you son of-"

Ikkaku's blade was held back by the blood coiled around it. Like a red hand, it held his weapon back so he couldn't strike again. A long whip shot from Zalya's blood board to catch Yumichika's four blades before they could reach their target.

"What the hell is this?" Yumichika couldn't believe it. "Is that... blood?"

"Yeah, baby." Zalya gave them both a sinister look. "Can't you just feel it... flowing through you?"

With a flick of his fingers, two blades of blood shot from the mass and into their bodies. The blood stabbed them through the stomach and out their backs. The blood from their wounds joined Zalya's and attacked. The fresh blood branched from the blade to puncture their bodies at close range. The blood then became more flexible and whipped them through the air and slammed them into the ground, hard.

"I tried to warn them..." Shinji felt sick. Zalya was next to impossible to fight. How were they supposed to defeat someone without injury to him or to themselves?

Ikkaku and Yumichika struggled up. Their injuries were bad but not enough to keep them down.

"That all you got?" taunted Ikkaku. "So you use blood to fight? That's interesting. But even you can die from blood-loss, right?" He struggled to his feet, using his Zanpakuto as a crutch. "Then I'll just have to keep slicing you until that happens."

"You idiot!" Shinji yelled. He couldn't believe Ikkaku's simplicity. Did he honestly think that was a good idea? Maybe eventually Zalya would die from blood-loss, but in the meantime he could use it as a weapon and defeat them long before he reached that point. Ikkaku was just giving him more weapons to work with. The last thing they needed now was more blood on the field.

"Yumichika, hold him for me."

"On it." He prepared to use Kido. "Bakudo 61 Rikujokoro!"

Shinji's heart skipped a beat. That was the same move he had used before and it didn't work.

"I have him, Ikkaku. Go on."

"Thanks." Ikkaku was going to chop off Zalya's head and end this quickly. He didn't have time to take Zalya on alone, even if he was a challenge. He would find another Quincy to take on by himself and have the others watch. He just wanted Zalya dead, by his hands or another.

Zalya was unafraid when he saw the weapon come at his neck. Ikkaku misunderstood and thought Zalya didn't understand that he was going to be beheaded. Ikkaku kept charging. There wasn't anything Zalya could do. He was restrained.

Yumichika gasped, seeing a large mass of blood coming at Ikkaku from behind. "Ikka-"

In a fraction of a second, Yumichika's body was slashed multiple times from different directions. He dropped to his knees.

Ikkaku stopped in his tracks and saw Yumichika fall. Their eyes met briefly before Yumichika's closed as he hit the ground. A second later, Ikkaku joined him on the ground. A sharp blood spike drove through his right shoulder and held him down.

Zalya couldn't be restrained.

He effortlessly freed himself from the Kido and stood over his prey. Ikkaku was still conscious and able to move his limbs. Yumichika was fading in and out and could not move his body. Zalya gathered up their blood and held it in the air above them.

"I could kill you like this," said Zalya. "But that's no fun. I think this will be a lot more entertaining."

Zalya took a massive wad of blood and threw it at the back of Ichigo's head. The Hollow turned with an irritated roar.

"Yo, Ichigo! Got dinner for you!"

Ichigo came running.

Yumichika was too injured to move and Ikkaku was held down by the spike in his shoulder.

Zalya flashed away, making them the new target. Ichigo wasn't picky. They would do fine. Ikkaku moved against the spike, causing more blood to flow and join the spike, making it thicker. He had to get up. He had to defend himself and protect Yumichika.

A few feet away, Ichigo bent down with his mouth wide open. Ikkaku ripped the spike out of his shoulder, grabbed his weapon and sliced Ichigo across the chest. Ikkaku's attack was powerful enough to send him stumbling backwards but not enough to stop him. He tried to attack Ikkaku again but he had grabbed his friend and flashed away. Ichigo kept going, his new target being Zalya.

"Oh, boy." Zalya dodged Ichigo and kept moving. He wasn't about to let Ichigo make a meal of him.

Ikkaku brought Yumichika to Rukia, setting him down beside Soi Fon. "He's lost too much blood. That bastard practically drained him."

"I'm dizzy..." Yumichika said weakly. He felt faint and cold. He couldn't continue the fight.

"Take them back to the Seireitei," said Ikkaku. "I'll take care of the Quincy."

"You're injured, too," lectured Rukia. "Hacking away at this guy will do you no good. It just makes him stronger."

"Eventually he's going to run out of blood. I mean, even he can die from blood-loss, right?"

"And what if he doesn't?"

Ikkaku didn't have an answer.

"Kido won't work on him," said Shinji. "I know. I've tried. The blood moves independent of his will. Restricting his movements will do nothing and cutting him or being cut is one of the worst things that can be done. Zalya's going to be difficult to defeat. The only other thing I can think of is knocking him out, but even that's a stretch. If the blood will move even if he can't, then he might not need to be awake in order to use it. Our best chance is to restrain him before blood comes into play. We have to make the first move."

"Too late for that now," said Rukia. "We might have to retreat and fight him later."

"And hope we can hold him down before he can cut us or himself." Shinji looked to where Ichigo was chasing Zalya around in circles. "He's not attacking Ichigo. Looks like he wants Ichigo alive for the time being."

"As collateral," said Ikkaku.

"He's using Ichigo to attack us. But if we try to attack him, he'll hide behind Ichigo, knowing we won't hurt him," said Rukia. "This guy's just as crafty as the rest of them."

Soi Fon was still unable to move though she continued to try. "We need more people," she said.

"More people for this guy to slice up?" said Shinji. "Are you nuts?"

"No, not for this Quincy. For Ichigo. Back-up for us."

Shinji realized something important. "No. We need people back at the Seireitei. This is the first time in a while a Quincy has shown up other than the boss, right? If we're out here with Ichigo, what's stopping them from attacking the Seireitei? We need more defenses back home, not out here. For all we know, the others are attacking the Seireitei while we're dealing with this guy and handling the Ichigo situation. We can't keep sending people out to get injured like this. It will weaken us. Then when they finally do attack the Seireitei, we'll be too battered to do anything. We have to go back and come up with a new strategy."

"Captain Hirako is right," said Rukia. "We have two down already and Ikkaku is in rough shape as well."

"I told you, I'm fine."

"You're bleeding!"

"Someone make a decision before I black out again," whined Yumichika. "Don't have all day."

"I'll take them back."

Rukia and the others looked up. "Cedric."

Cedric didn't look too worse for wear as he stood over them. He bent down and looked at the two injured Soul Reapers on the ground. "I can carry them both back to the Seireitei quickly. They need care, and it looks like you're going to be arguing for a while."

"Where were you?" asked Rukia. Even knowing they didn't have much time, she had to ask.

"I was keeping an eye on Ichigo. Then I saw the Quincy and kept my distance." Cedric looked around. "I also saw Veneno traveling not too far from here a while ago. He was pretty far from Ichigo but I doubt he wasn't aware of that. It looked like he was avoiding Ichigo on purpose."

"Why?"

"I haven't a clue. Should I take these two back and have you handle it, or should I return and get answers?"

Rukia didn't want Cedric out here for too much longer. She knew he needed to rest at some point and he would like nothing more than to see Linnette again. "Go back to the Seireitei and let us handle this."

Cedric nodded and carried Soi Fon and Yumichika away from the action.

Ichigo had gotten closer to where they were standing. Zalya seemed to be luring him closer to their position.

"Get ready," said Shinji.

They lifted up their weapons to defend themselves.

* * *

The flat surface was nothing compared to the endless sand dunes of Hueco Mundo. Running on sand was far more difficult and tiresome. Even with the rough patches of stone and barren soil, Veneno was able to travel quickly.

He had no idea where Yagi would be but he had to find him. He had a plan in mind, even if it was full of holes. He decided to tend to those matters later on. First things first.

If only he could find Yagi's workshop or home, this would be simple. His hideout must have been somewhere out here.

"Looking for me?"

Veneno stopped. He slowly turned. Yagi was waiting for him. Stepping out from behind the tall stones, he presented himself to the Arrancar.

"Alone? I see. Confident, aren't we? How is Ichigo doing, by the way?"

Veneno passed a growl through his teeth.

"Go on. Kill me," said Yagi. "Do so and the cure will be forever lost."

"If there is one. I still think you're lying."

Yagi shrugged. "That is just a chance you will have to take. You have no way of knowing for sure."

"Actually, I do." Veneno used his speed to get close to Yagi. Before he could lay a hand on him, Yagi flashed away and appeared on a different rock. Veneno flashed to that one but Yagi kept moving. His speed matched Veneno's.

Yagi took notice of something interesting. Veneno was coming after him without a weapon. He was just trying to grab him with his bare hands.

"I see," said Yagi with a smile. "So you're Veneno, the Arrancar Mayuri kept held up in his lab for so long. I was under the impression you had died some time ago."

Veneno stopped chasing him. "You know about me?"

"I've been to the archives. I've seen the things he has on file. I know everything he has ever written down. He has quite a selection. If only he put that much effort into his security."

Yagi had Mayuri's information. He must have gotten into his system somehow.

"So that's how you know about Ichigo and Victor's serum. You've read the files explaining everything."

Yagi looked proud of himself.

Veneno had no right to point fingers. When he was causing chaos in the Seireitei, he spent most of his time reading different files and books, learning more about Soul Reapers and their history. Partly to pass the time, partly to learn more about his enemy. Though, most of the information he attained was from books in the library and not Mayuri's personal files. He was never able to access it, even if he was curious enough to try. Mayuri was very protective of his information and even kept back-ups elsewhere. Not even members of his own Division were able to view them. How this Quincy managed to get a hold of it was an impressive feat.

"He ran tests on you and turned you into an Arrancar purely by accident. You were a mere tiny Hollow at the time. Then rapid evolution took place. That's the gist of it, isn't it?" Yagi chuckled to himself. "Then you took revenge on the Soul Reapers and attacked them. I don't blame you for that."

Veneno listened to Yagi but his mind was elsewhere, thinking. Something didn't add up. Yagi was under the impression that Veneno had been killed. He wasn't. He needed help regenerating since his body was so badly damaged. He was fully revived with Mayuri's help, but that was done in private. Not even his Division knew what he was doing. The only other person who knew was Akon. Him and Nemu but she was always aware of everything Mayuri did so Veneno didn't see the need to include her. He felt it was a given.

Mayuri never told anyone about what he was doing, therefore there were no files. He never recorded anything he did during his revival in order to keep it a secret. However, Akon was taking notes throughout Veneno's recovery. Mayuri ordered him to take careful notes and report back to him so he could add them to his computer.

Now it made sense. Yagi had seen everything from the files made public and put on record. Mayuri's private files were for his eyes only so the rest of the Seireitei would never see them and never know anything. Yagi had only seen the ones anyone had access to. Not Mayuri's restricted private files which he kept separate from everything else. That was why Yagi had no information about Veneno's recovery. It was off the record. He didn't have access to that information if it was entered into Mayuri's private files. Maybe Yagi didn't know about any others. He thought he had all the information he needed.

"Perhaps you and I should team up," suggested Yagi.

Veneno blinked. "Huh?"

"Think about it. You managed to cripple the Seireitei once before. You can do it again. And think how easy it would be with me helping you. Together, we can bring it down. You can finish what you started. You can take revenge and I will help you do that."

Now he knew Yagi wasn't aware of his recovery. Veneno had decided to give the Soul Reapers a second chance and trust was earned. He even became friends with a few of them. Though he still carried scars from the past, he no longer sought revenge. He was no longer bitter with them. They had a truce.

"What do you say?" Yagi extended his hand out to Veneno.

Veneno looked at the hand held out for him to take. Yagi was offering him a deal. A deal Veneno would never accept. But Yagi didn't know that. He had no idea what was settled in the past or how Veneno was an ally of the Soul Reapers. He could always slap the hand away and refuse, but Veneno had a different plan. This was a golden opportunity to trick the Quincy. He could pretend to join him only to turn traitor when the time was right. He could bring them down from the inside.

That seemed like a good idea, but Veneno already had a plan in mind. His plan would be a lot easier than pretending and wouldn't take nearly as long. Ichigo didn't have much time, so Veneno had to do this quickly. The fastest option would be the best one in this case.

In order to carry out his plan, all he needed was to touch Yagi.

With the hand extended before him, offered willingly, it was almost too easy.

Veneno smiled. "Bring it down together? Sounds pretty good to me."

He reached for Yagi's hand.

Just before contact was made, Yagi pulled away and fired an arrow at Veneno's body. Veneno flashed away and reappeared ten feet from where Yagi stood.

"You must think I'm a fool," said Yagi.

Veneno was confused. Yagi was the one offering a deal. Veneno accepted it. What had he done wrong? Could Yagi read minds? What gave him away? Somehow Yagi knew Veneno wasn't serious about joining him.

"Remember, I know your history with the Soul Reapers. I know your brush with them and what you did to the Seireitei." Yagi pointed at Veneno. "How you turned them into what they refer to as 'Hollow Reapers' with a touch of your hand."

He knew about Veneno's infectious touch.

"Do you honestly think I would allow you to touch me with that hand and turn me into one of those... one of those things?" Yagi was wise to Veneno. He trusted Veneno just as much as Veneno did him. "Why on earth would you try to infect me? What would be the purpose?"

"Because..." Veneno confessed his intentions knowing Yagi would never trust him no matter what transpired. "Because then, I could make you tell the truth. I'll turn you into a Hollow and bend you to my will. You will no longer be a threat and I can force you to give up the cure if there is one."

It was the only plan Veneno had. He thought it was a good one, even with one major issue.

An issue Yagi had already noticed.

"How on earth would you compel me to do such a thing?" asked Yagi, a smug tone in his voice. "According to what I read, the virus you give to those you touch turns them into Hollows. Hollow powers, mutates them slowly. But it doesn't give them intelligence. They might obey you when you tell them to attack, but you can't even have a conversation with them. Therefore, you cannot get me to reveal any type of information because Hollow Reapers are poor communicators. Most don't even speak. They're like zombies. You're plan is flawed."

Just because Veneno infected him, didn't mean he would reveal his secrets. The Hollow Reapers who could speak were very limited and most of them had little intellect. Even if Veneno got lucky and Yagi became a Hollow who could speak, Hollow Reapers forgot who they were before the turn and believed they were always Hollows. Therefore, Yagi would be unable to divulge any information because he wouldn't remember any of it.

Yagi chuckled. "You see it now? You're plan will fail. You won't be able to command me."

"Maybe I can't... But Linnette can." That was why Veneno needed her with him in order for this plan to work. "Hollows will obey Linnette no matter what. Even if you are a dumb Hollow who will not listen to me, you'll listen to her. If she commands it, you'll do it. You'll have no choice."

At least, that was the idea. Veneno had planned to turn Yagi into a Hollow, then use Linnette's voice to force him to tell the truth. Hollow Reapers seemed to be more articulate when she was in control. When Veneno told a Hollow Reaper to speak, it would not. That was the issue with Hollow Reapers. Sometimes they listened and sometimes they didn't. An act of violence, they were all too happy to comply. But speaking was another issue. So Veneno planned to have Linnette interrogate Yagi because she was better at it than Veneno. Even if a Hollow couldn't speak when Veneno commanded it, they would when she asked it of them. Their growling would turn to words.

It seemed so easy when he first thought of it. Now he was seeing even more flaws and knew it probably wouldn't work. Not if Hollow Reapers couldn't remember anything from before the turn. If that was the case, then Yagi would not remember any cure if one existed.

Veneno thought he could infect Yagi just a little bit and not turn him into a complete Hollow. That way he would be more likely to remember certain things and be driven to answer any and all of Linnette's questions. That was his new plan.

A plan that would never work if he couldn't touch Yagi.

Yagi smirked. "I knew you would not join my side when I saw the way you defended Ichigo. I had a feeling you two were friends. So it's unlikely you would join me if it meant hurting him." Yagi tapped the side of his head with his finger. "Smart, right? Always thinking."

* * *

You won't want to miss the next chapter. Be prepared.

Please review! ^-^


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter: 17**

Ichigo's claws sank into the ground once again missing his target. He roared and ripped his claws free.

Rukia kept moving to avoid being hit. Ichigo wasn't picky about his target. Sometimes he went after her and other times he went after Shinji or Ikkaku. He even went after Zalya when he caught sight of him.

"Looky, looky, baby!"

"Ah!" Rukia felt a sharp pain in her arm and saw blood from her wound rise into the air. She couldn't forget about the other person they were fighting. When Ichigo wasn't attacking, Zalya was. He worked with Ichigo as a team to weaken the group further.

Now that he had her blood, he could use it to attack, along with the rest of the blood still in his control. A few drops didn't seem like much, but it added up. A single drop could cause more wounds and draw more blood. The more blood he had, the more weapons he could use and the wider his range. They couldn't afford to surrender any more blood to him.

Ichigo fired a cero past Zalya's head. "Careful, baby. I don't want to pick a fight with you. I'm after these guys. Why not help me take them down?"

Ichigo responded by firing another cero past his head. Zalya zoomed past him on his board of blood and slashed Ichigo's shoulder. Ichigo roared and chased after him. Zalya flew close to Shinji and made him the target of Ichigo's rage. Once in sight, Ichigo turned his rage on Shinji and tried to slash him with his claws.

"Can't you use your Zanpakuto to confuse his sense of direction or something?" asked Ikkaku. "That way he won't know where to attack. His aim will be off. While you're at it, do the same to that damn Quincy."

"I tried. It's too dangerous. He can fire in every direction so my ability will be pointless."

"I thought if it confused the senses, he wouldn't be able to tell where he was aiming anyway. How would he know if he's firing in every direction?"

"Well, he did!" Shinji snapped. "I can't use it because I've already tried. It didn't work. And I can't risk him hitting Ichigo. There are just too many things to consider and- On your left!"

Ikkaku dodged Ichigo's attack. "What the hell are we supposed to do?!"

Zalya started to shrilly play air-guitar, surfing around the group on his blood board. His actions were annoying everyone including Ichigo. Ichigo was the only one who bothered to attack, but with Zalya's constant movements, Ichigo's attacks were all over the place. He missed several times and came close to hitting his friends, though he didn't appear to mind. A target was a target.

"Come on, baby! Come on, baby!" Zalya shrieked. "Come on, come on! Yeah! Come on!"

Ichigo roared and fired a barrage of ceros at him in a full circle. One cero narrowly missed Ikkaku and the other grazed Rukia. However, one cero managed to hit the side of Zalya's board and sent him flying. The blood melted and dripped, soaking the ground. Zalya stood up and saw the blood spilling everywhere, no longer retaining the shape he desired. He wasn't too concerned. With a wave of his hand, the blood lifted off the ground and formed a long whip which coiled around him like a red snake. Ichigo came at him once again.

"Though we need you to help us take down the Soul Reapers, you don't have long to live anyway, baby. So I see no reason why I can't take you down to defend myself."

Zalya sent the whip into Ichigo's chest and out the other side. It coiled around and entered his body again. It looked like the blood was stitching him like a torn piece of cloth. It entered and exited several times. Ichigo roared and tried to grab the blood coils but they broke away every time he tried to touch them. All at once, the coils pulled in one direction and hoisted Ichigo off the ground.

"What the hell is he doing?" wondered Ikkaku.

The blood held Ichigo off the ground by his rib. His tough Hollow body started to stretched and tear, gravity working against the blood suspending him in midair. Ichigo's flesh tore and his protective skin was ripped from the rest of his body. Ichigo fell, part of his lift rib missing. Blood started to pour forth.

Zalya quickly gathered it up.

Ichigo's body started to heal and regenerate. He lifted himself up and growled at Zalya. He started to charge, then abruptly stopped. He shrieked and roared and his skin started to peel and flack away. He was molting.

"Ichigo..?"

Shrieking, Ichigo ripped himself away from his molting Hollow form and fell backwards onto the ground. He was barely conscious and lay moaning on the ground, his head turning from side to side.

"Ichigo!" Rukia started running.

"Don't!" Shinji warned.

"Come here, baby!" Zalya took aim at Rukia.

She stopped mid-step, seeing a mass of blood heading right for her. She had no time to block and there was no way she would be able to avoid it.

Another cero intercepted the blood and the two attacks canceled each other out.

"Ah?" Zalya looked around. That cero didn't come from Ichigo.

Zalya felt two hand wrap around his neck from behind.

"No one... hurts my friends!"

Zalya choked, his windpipe being crushed by Veneno's powerful grip.

"One of you get Ichigo out of here now!" Veneno ordered. "Hurry!"

Shinji was the one to make the move. "I got him." Shinji threw Ichigo over his shoulder and took off.

Zalya pulled at the hands around his neck. "Get off!" he choked out. He was starting to see spots.

The blood he had collected from Ichigo and the others were destroyed by the cero. He had nothing.

Ikkaku looked hopeful. It was just as Shinji had theorized. If they could find a way to restrain Zalya before he had blood drawn, they had a chance to defeat him. If Veneno kept strangling him, he would either kill him or cause Zalya to black out. Either way, he would be defeated.

Zalya brought his thumb up to his mouth and bit down on his own flesh. Blood began to flow. With a weapon, Zalya threw the tiny drops into Veneno's face, cutting him. That blood joined his and formed a larger mass which then sliced Veneno's hands.

Yelping, Veneno released him and broke away from Zalya. His hands were dripping with blood which Zalya gathered and used against him.

"He uses blood to attack. Whatever you do, don't cut Zalya and don't let him cut you!" shouted Rukia.

"A little late for that!" Veneno yelled.

Zalya examined the blood in the palm of his hand. The blood he drew from his thumb and the blood he drew from Veneno only managed to be the size of a golf ball in total. It wasn't much to work with but he could always get more.

Veneno backed away from Zalya. He looked from him to Rukia and Ikkaku. Both of them were tired and injured. He interpreted their gazes and looks of encouragement. They were relying on him to take down Zalya.

"Where have you been?" asked Rukia out of the blue. "Cedric said you ran by some time ago. What were you doing?"

"I went to pay their leader a visit. I wanted to see if I could persuade Yagi to hand over the cure, if there is one."

Zalya laughed. "There's no way you can get Yagi to hand something over, baby. That's impossible. Solid as a rock. Even I can't get him to share anything with me and we're related."

"How did you think you could convince him to tell you something like that?" asked Ikkaku. He was very skeptical.

"With my ability." Veneno held up his hand. "I planned on infecting him with the Hollow virus and then use Linnette's power to force him to answer once he's become a Hollow."

Rukia's eyes widened. "That's brilliant."

"Yeah... Until I realized that plan was full of holes. It wouldn't work." Veneno then looked at Zalya. "But that doesn't mean I can't use it on you."

"Me?"

"Yeah. Though you don't have any information to share, if you get infected with the Hollow virus, you won't be much of a threat. All your Quincy powers will be gone. And if Linnette uses her power, she can control you."

"Oh." Zalya looked around. "Is she here?"

Veneno didn't answer, but his look said it all.

"Thought so." Zalya bent the blood into a fine blade. "Then it won't work. Not if she isn't here, baby. And even so, once I become infected, I'll just attack them, same as before. You'll just give me a new power to do it with, baby."

Ikkaku slapped his forehead. "Veneno's plans are really half-baked, aren't they?"

"At least he's trying, and it was a good plan," said Rukia.

"Where is Yagi, anyway?" asked Zalya. "If you went to talk to him and now you're here, that must mean you either gave up or found him. Which is it, baby?"

"Stop calling me baby!" Veneno fired a small cero from his hand.

"Was that a bala?" asked Zalya. "Well, an Arrancar would be able to do that, wouldn't you, baby?"

"I said not to call me that!" Veneno fired again but not at Zalya directly. He aimed at the blood. If he got rid of that small portion, then Zalya would no longer have a weapon to use against them.

Zalya and Veneno kept their distance from each other as they fought, neither willing to get too close to the other. Zalya let the blood hover behind his back while he pulled out his bow and started firing. Veneno used his speed to dodge every single arrow that came his way. He jumped and flipped through the air and fired a cero from above Zalya's head. Zalya dodged but the blood behind him took the hit and was gone.

"Crap." Zalya had no blood to use.

"Bind his hands!" yelled Ikkaku. "Don't let him draw blood from himself!"

"Already on it!" Rukia used Kido to hold Zalya in place. Gold chains wove around his arms, binding Zalya. He couldn't fire an arrow or cut his flesh for more blood. "Now, Veneno!"

Veneno didn't draw his sword. He was going to defeat Zalya with other methods. He was going to strangle him again. No blood would be shed.

Veneno was about to grab Zalya's neck when he saw the Quincy bit the inside of his cheek. Veneno gasped and pulled back as Zalya spat blood at him. The blood followed Veneno whenever he went. Then it curved around and struck Ikkaku through the shoulder. Ikkaku tried to cover the wound before blood could escape but it was pointless.

"Is there no stopping this guy?!"

"I'm just resourceful, baby." Zalya used the blood to break his bonds and freed himself. "Now who wants it next?"

Veneno fired another cero at him. Zalya bent over backwards to avoid it. As he did, Veneno moved it to attack him while in that vulnerable position. Maybe if he snapped his spine, it would be enough to stop him.

Just as he was about to attack, a folly of arrows came his way and Veneno retreated.

Yagi stood further away with his bow at the ready. "I never gave you permission to leave. We were in the middle of a conversation and you just run off? How rude. At least be a man and stand your ground rather than run off."

"You're one to talk," said Veneno. "I've heard and seen the things you do. You run off the second you're in possible danger. As soon as Ichigo becomes a Hollow, you run off. You only came after him when he's unable to move. You? A man? Ha! You're nothing but a coward!"

Yagi scoffed. "A coward, am I? Hm. At least I'm alive. That's all that matters. I am not so proud or stubborn as to throw my life away just to keep up appearances or for the sake of pride. Such unwritten rules get in the way. I'd rather share may tale myself than be remembered through another one's stories."

Veneno gave Yagi a serious look. "You'd rather be alive. That's it?"

"Is there anything else?"

Veneno's expression changed to one of sadness. "What good is being alive when you're alone?"

Rukia knew Veneno was speaking from the heart. At one time, Veneno existed but wasn't living. Choosing the safest path would keep him alive but he was always lonely and miserable. Choosing to be with people and look after them gave him purpose and helped him discover what it was like to truly live. Being alive and living were very different. Veneno finally discovered what was truly important and what he wanted. Living and being alone wasn't a life he wanted to be a part of. He was happy having friends and people in his life who cared about him and who would remember him even when he was no longer there.

Abandoning people, using them as a shield to protect himself was something he no longer wished to do. He wanted to protect those he treasured. He understood why Yagi thought this way but he couldn't condone it. He knew it was wrong. Yagi was wrong. Somethings were more important than being alive. A life was meaningless without others in it. Veneno truly believed that. All his experiences have taught him that much. Living two different lives allowed him to compare and see which way was better.

A life with friends was the life he chose.

Yagi raised his bow. "I still can't fathom why you would chose their side. An Arrancar has no place among Soul Reapers or Quincy. You walk a path alone. You are just fooling yourself."

"I choose to be with them. They are my friends and I want them in my life."

Yagi shook his head. "There is no life for you. Not with them, or anyone. You are an Arrancar. A Hollow. You have no say and no place. No rights. The only thing you deserve is death."

Something sharp pierced Veneno's body. He saw a blade of blood sticking out of his chest, run through from behind. Exactly where his hole was located.

Rukia's mouth fell open, her eyes wide with horror.

Veneno carefully turned his head to look at her. Seeing her horrified expression and worried eyes gave him comfort. She cared about him. She truly cared. Knowing this gave Veneno so much joy. He truly would be missed. He had people who cared for him. People who loved him.

Veneno managed a smile. "Don't worry," he said through bloody lips. "I'm going to be just fin-"

The blade expanded in his chest. Taking on the form of a vice, the clamps went in different directions, tearing Veneno apart. His torso was severed into pieces and fell to the ground in a heap.

"Ah..." Rukia's lips trembled.

Veneno's eyes stared straight ahead, lifeless.

Rukia screamed. She just watched him die right before her eyes. He was only a few feet away and she watched it happen. She couldn't even warn him. She couldn't help him.

Zalya stepped up to the body and sliced off Veneno's head with his own blood. "Looky what I got, baby." Zalya picked up Veneno's severed head and held it up for Yagi to see. "Decently heavy. With the way he talked, I kind of expected it to be empty."

"Zalya," said Yagi. "Do not play with the body. That's disgusting."

"Don't bother me none." Zalya waved Veneno's head back and forth, his jaw hanging open and dripping even more blood onto the ground.

"It is an Arrancar," Yagi explained. "Though it is nothing short of what he deserved, I wouldn't recommend you touching it. It's nothing but filth."

"Alright, alright." Zalya drop-kicked Veneno's head past Yagi who then fired a single arrow to cause unnecessary damage to the dead Arrancar. It was overkill.

"You sons of a..!" Ikkaku jumped to his feet and started slashing Zalya without thinking. Even he was out for revenge after what they had done to Veneno. "You didn't have to do that!"

Zalya wrapped blood around Ikkaku's body and threw him into the air. "He was an Arrancar, baby. Had to be put down. Nothing but filth. You should be thanking me for doing your work for you, baby."

"Zalya..." Yagi gave him a warning. "Enough."

Zalya turned to him. "Oh? But we were..."

"I said enough. There is more work to be done." He motioned for Zalya to follow. "Come."

Zalya sighed. "Fine." He dropped Ikkaku and the two Quincies disappeared.

Ikkaku lay on his back looking at the sky. He started cursing and beat his fists against the ground.

Rukia crawled to Veneno's mangled body. Already it was starting to disappear and fade into nothing. She watched the process through teary eyes.

What made matters worse was how she was going to break the news to Ichigo.

* * *

Shinji set Ichigo down once they were far enough away. On this stretch of land, there was nothing to hide behind other than the occasional rock. There wasn't a tree around for miles and populated areas were even further, which was actually good news.

Ichigo was still moaning but he hadn't opened his eyes. Shinji touched Ichigo's arm through his sleeve. Even without direct contact, he could feel the heat coming from Ichigo's body. He was running a high fever. He needed water before he dehydrated.

Ichigo started to open his eyes. Everything was blurry but he could make out a white figure hunched over him. The last thing he remembered was being near Yagi and he was wearing white. Thinking it was him, Ichigo went into attack mode. He grabbed the front of the figure's jacket and pulled himself up into a sitting position to attack. He pulled back his fist, ready to punch.

He had to be sure of his target first so Ichigo hesitated before throwing a punch.

Slowly his vision began to clear and he could see blond hair. Yagi wasn't blond so this couldn't be him.

"It's me." That was Shinji's voice. "It's me, Ichigo. It's Shinji. Just me."

Ichigo relaxed his grip and let his fist fall limply at his side. His strength already wavering, Ichigo started to fall over. Shinji caught him and held him in a sitting position.

"You ok?"

"Woozy..." Ichigo's throat felt dry. It was hard to swallow. "I'm thirsty."

"I don't have anything to give you."

Ichigo's body went tense. He quickly shoved Shinji away and vomited. Shinji moved away to avoid sitting in it.

"Ew..."

"Tell me about it." There wasn't much for Ichigo to throw up. He had no idea how long he had been a Hollow this time and couldn't remember the last time he ate. The last time he felt sick, there was nothing coming up but dry heaves. This time something, though small, came up. "Did I hurt anyone?" he asked, fearing his vomit contained pieces of a Soul Reaper body.

"Not that I know of."

All he could taste was vomit. "Disgusting..." Ichigo's body was shaking. He felt weak.

"We ran into a couple of Quincies," said Shinji. "One of them could use blood as a weapon. He's going to be hard to face. But Veneno showed up and helped us out."

Ichigo was happy to see Veneno again but they didn't have much time to catch up. In addition to having a reunion, Ichigo was worried Veneno wouldn't be able to face this challenge. Their enemy was strong.

"Is he ok? Is Veneno alright?"

"Don't know," said Shinji. "He told me to take you and leave. He's trying to protect you since he knows you're in bad shape."

Ichigo spat to get the taste out of his mouth. "I'm fine. Help him."

"Heh. He seemed to be doing pretty well," said Shinji. "I think he can handle it."

It wasn't that Ichigo didn't trust his friends or think they were weak. It just couldn't help but worry about a friend. It was in his nature to protect.

Shinji looked Ichigo up and down and knew this was bad. "All the training we gave you is pointless now," he said. "This isn't about controlling your Hollow. This is far different. I don't know how to help you with this."

"Don't worry about it," said Ichigo.

Shinji wished he could help his friend. He managed to help train him before and was there for him. Now he hadn't a clue. He also knew how strong Ichigo was and trusted in his ability. Seeing him like this was disheartening. Ichigo was on his knees, heaving into the soil running a fever. What could he possibly do for him now?

Ichigo took long deep breaths, still having the urge to vomit but being unable to do so. Shinji moved closer and rubbed Ichigo's back. At this moment, it was about all he could do for him.

* * *

Back at the sickbay Yumichika and Soi Fon were being seen by numerous members of Squad 4. Yumichika kept fading in and out of consciousness while Soi Fon was still able to speak. They were put in separate rooms and given transfusions in addition to medical Kido treatments.

The Soul Reapers who saw them were in utter shock. "Captain Soi Fon was cut down? But that's impossible," some were saying as she was wheeled by. "These Quincy guys are bad news. They must be really strong in order to do that."

"I don't want to face them."

"Me neither."

"I'm pretty scared right now. I mean, if they could send Soi Fon to the sickbay that fast..."

Soi Fon heard them and called from her bed, "I wasn't cut down, you idiots! I was brought here because my legs were too badly damaged. I didn't lose anything. Besides, that coward of a Quincy was hiding behind Ichigo, using him as a shield. Disgraceful." If given a fair fight, Soi Fon was certain she would win. Her Zanpakuto would get the job done without the need for blood. It would be over in two seconds.

The Soul Reapers in the hall were still unsure. Seeing the Captain of Squad 2 in such bad shape did a number on their confidence. They weren't so sure they could face the challenge.

"The Quincy we faced can use blood as a weapon," Soi Fon explained. "So long as you don't cut him or allow yourself to be cut, he can be brought down."

"Did you think to use Kido to hold him down or something?"

Soi Fon threw a pillow into the hall. "You think we didn't think of that? Of course! Kido didn't work on him because the blood he uses can move on its own and break his bonds. Our best chance is to strike before he can draw blood."

Uses blood as a weapon? What a frightening ability. From what Soi Fon described, this Quincy was very powerful and difficult to face.

"Whoa... I figured those guys had a frightening leader but using blood and being next to impossible to hold down? Man..."

"He isn't the leader," said Soi Fon. "He's one of the leader's followers. The leader's name is Yagi. This Quincy went by the name of Zalya."

"He's not even the leader and he's that bad-ass?"

"Now I really don't want to fight him."

A Soul Reaper turned to Cedric. "You. You're with that girl, right? Is it true you don't bleed? You don't have blood so you should be the one to fight him. What are you waiting for? Go get him!"

Cedric didn't say a word and didn't obey the request.

"Don't dump our issues on him!" Soi Fon snapped. "He isn't a Soul Reaper so it isn't his responsibility."

"But I don't want to face something like that!" cried the Soul Reaper.

"Are you a man or not?" Soi Fon shouted back. "You're giving up before you even face the problem. Once I'm healed, I'm going back out there and stopping the enemy. Since when did you turn into a bunch of cowards?"

"Since that happened!" The Soul Reaper pointed to the wall where numerous others were gathered, slumped and depressed. "They can't even move and won't eat. I don't want to end up like one of them. And I certainly don't want to end up as that either!" He pointed to Soi Fon's mangled legs and weak body.

"You just have to be ready. Be quicker than your enemy and fight! Don't give up. You want them to win?"

"If this is what a follower can do, I don't want to meet the leader. Can you imagine?"

Cedric moved away from the yelling. He wanted to find Linnette and make sure she was doing well.

He was pointed in the right direction and found her in Ukitake's office. She leaped off the couch and ran to hug him. "Cedric, you're back!"

"Linnette, it's good to see you." Cedric hugged her. "How have you been? Have you been eating well? Getting enough rest?"

Ukitake answered from his desk. "She's been wonderful. Hardly know she's here." He smiled at her and she smiled back. "She's been eating just fine. Even has snacks between meals. We were just about to have lunch if you would like to join us."

"I'll think about it." Cedric had no need for food so he never ate. He didn't mind keeping Linnette company and watching her eat. "Has Victor shown up at all?"

Linnette shook her head. "No. He's been staying at the lab helping that Mayuri person. He doesn't want me in the lab so I don't go in. They're still working on a cure."

"Well, maybe after lunch I will go check on him." Cedric walked Linnette over to the couch and sat down beside her. "Tell me what you've been up to while I was gone." He wanted to keep her distracted as much as possible. He didn't want her to worry or get stressed.

It would be devastating if a friend ended up dying because of the Quincies. Thankfully, Cedric didn't have any news like that to break to her. He could only hope Ichigo was alright. It would break her heart if anything happened to her friend.

* * *

T^T What's next?

Please review! ^-^


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter: 18**

"This is ridiculous!" complained Zalya. "I had them! I thought our whole mission was to kill as many Soul Reapers as possible. Why the hell would you yank us out of there before I could finish them off?"

Yagi shot him a look and Zalya changed his tone.

They managed to return to their underground hideout without being noticed. Yagi stood by the mantle where Ichigo's sword hung like a trophy. He admired it and was still debating what he should do with it. There was plenty of time to decide. Right now, he had to address his group. There was much to do and obstacles to deal with. None of which he hadn't foreseen other than the appearance of the Arrancar, but now that he was dead, he posed no issue. Even with things going smoothly, certain members of his group were confused by his actions to leave the weakened Soul Reapers alive when they could have easily been killed.

"Because," he said, "we're taking one step at a time. Now that the Arrancar is gone, we need someone to break the news to Ichigo. Since those two are apparently close, I can only imagine how Ichigo would take it." Yagi smiled at the thought.

"Oh, I see. You wanted messengers to tell Ichigo that his friend is dead and watch him freak out." Zalya chuckled. "That's pretty hardcore, baby."

"You slipped again," said Yaku. "How depressing."

"But not as depressing as Ichigo getting that awful news, right, baby?"

"Stop calling me baby. It's depressing."

"Everything's depressing with you!"

Yaku finished polishing his mirror and examined his reflection in its smooth surface. "Aren't you afraid the Soul Reapers will retaliate with us wounding so many? I know we're sending a message and weakening them, but there's a depressing saying about not wounding what you can't kill."

"We can and will kill them," said Yagi as he turned to look at Zalya. "I also had to get this idiot out of there before he bled to death."

"Half of that wasn't even my blood."

"They're catching on to your power and will try to restrain you so you won't be able to cut them. Then you will have to inflict damage to yourself and that will in turn weaken you. Especially if you have to keep doing it."

"With that Arrancar gone, it'll be easier to deal with, bab- sorry. It slipped, it slipped." Zalya knew better than to call their leader by anything other than his title. Even though they were cousins, he had to be very respectful. He knew what Yagi was capable of and didn't want Yagi coming after him.

"What's our next move?" asked Mordere.

Yagi leaned against the bookcase in their hideout. "I have something to see to in my personal lab. Let Ichigo struggle and roam free for a while. It might be fun to watch the Soul Reapers scramble. It's not like they can do anything. Certainly not to us." Yagi grinned. "But I do have a little surprise I would like to unveil to them just as soon as I'm finished."

Mordere shared his leader's grin. "How fiendish, leader, sir." He knew exactly what he was talking about, and so did the others.

"How depressing..."

* * *

Ikkaku and Rukia returned to the Seireitei as quickly as possible. Rukia didn't want to leave Ichigo alone with Shinji for too long but at least he was with someone. She had to get Ikkaku medical attention no matter how much he insisted he didn't need any. Ikkaku was only willing to follow her back because he wanted to check on his friend.

After leaving Ikkaku at the sickbay, Rukia went to speak with her Captain. He allowed her to leave the Seireitei even though she wasn't assigned to leave with the other two they dispatched. Ukitake knew how worried she was about Ichigo so he allowed her to leave.

On her way there, she ran into another member of the Division carrying a tray of food. "Sorry."

"Take it easy, Lieutenant." The Soul Reaper adjusted the contents of the tray, making sure nothing had spilled or would if he continued on his way. "Damn that Arrancar is a bottomless pit. Sending me out for food like I'm some servant."

"What?"

"Yeah. But the Captain told us to keep him comfortable. Had I only known what I had signed up for."

Had Veneno sent the Soul Reaper out to get food while he sneaked out to find Yagi? If that happened... That was impossible. The time-line was off. Either that or this Soul Reaper was extremely slow.

"When did Veneno ask you to get food for him?" she asked.

"What? Uh... Not too long ago, but it's not like I wrote it down."

"When was the last time you saw him?" Rukia's hands were shaking.

"Uh... about a half hour ago. Why?"

"A half hour?" That couldn't have been. She watched Veneno die just an hour ago. Maybe a little less. "Where is he?"

"Uh..." The Soul Reaper pointed down the hall.

Rukia ran to the room at the top of the stairs. She burst through the door calling his name.

Standing by the window was none other than Veneno himself.

At first, Rukia thought it was wishful thinking playing tricks on her eyes, but it was really him. The sword at his side was proof enough of that fact.

"Veneno..." She was so relieved.

He turned away from the window and smiled. "Sweet of you to worry about me. At least I know I'll be missed."

"Then you..."

Veneno nodded. "It wasn't the real me. It was a clone."

"A clone?" Rukia repeated slowly.

When Veneno was revived, some of his powers seemed to be lost. He displayed certain abilities he possessed before and others appeared to no longer exist. Cloning was one of them. He didn't seem to be able to use it even when he tried.

"While I was in Hueco Mundo," he explained, "I had a lot of time on my hands. I passed the time doing different things. One of them was seeing if I could still clone myself since it was a power I had before. Nothing happened when I tried, just like before while I was in the Seireitei. So I thought the power was lost. Then I ended up making a single clone of myself. I realized I still had the power. It just took a while to come back, I guess. Maybe I was still in a state of recovery."

Rukia thought back to the fight with Zalya. Never once did Veneno draw his sword. He tried to strangle Zalya right off the bat. Even before he knew about Zalya using blood. Now she understood why that was. It was because he didn't have a sword to wield. Only the original Veneno had a sword. Clones did not. That was true, even back then. The clones would always borrow someone else's blade if they wished to fight.

This also explained why Veneno knew what had happened without being there. He knew Rukia had grieved, seeing it all happen through the eyes of a clone. Veneno was aware of everything that happened to one of his clones. Their experiences became his.

Rukia kicked him in the rib. "Do you have any idea how worried I was?! How scared and sad and... I was trying to find a way to break the news to Ichigo. You're damn lucky I came here first!"

"I told you not to worry. At least my clone did."

Rukia was still upset but happy to see him in one piece.

"I decided to use a clone to spy on Yagi. Knowing how dangerous he was, I didn't want to take any chances. I also didn't want to leave the Seireitei in case something happened. And this way I can learn all his techniques. He also thinks I'm dead so he won't be looking for me."

Veneno's face became serious and worried.

"Unless..."

"Unless what?"

Veneno pushed Rukia aside. "I'll be right back."

If Yagi had read the files, then he would also know about Veneno's cloning ability. Who knew what else he knew? He could have read anything from those files. Veneno had to see Mayuri at once.

"And Rukia."

"Yeah?"

"Don't tell anyone about that ability still being mine. No one else knows and I want to keep it that way. Mayuri might try to rope me back in if he found out."

Rukia nodded. "My lips are sealed."

The only other person who knew was Akon. That was what they had spoken about back at the lab.

Veneno was concerned for several reasons. Mayuri was at the top of the list but there were others. On the surface, it might seem odd to be worried about discovering that a long lost ability had returned, but it brought more questions. Veneno had asked Akon if he should be worried about his body developing rapidly like before, but Akon assured him that it was nothing to worry about. He always had the ability, but after his revival, Veneno didn't seem to be able to use his cloning ability anymore. He had come to terms with that, but now the power had returned. Akon guessed that it was Veneno's body finally being fully recovered since his powers did return over time and it was a slow process. He didn't see a reason to worry.

Veneno wasn't so sure it was as simple as Akon was describing. He claimed that this was a sign that Veneno was fully recovered and back to his full strength. Veneno told Akon that he was wrong. Before he was able to make multiple clones with little to no issue. Now he was lucky to make one or two and it would leave him feeling exhausted. It wasn't the same as it was before. This was another reason why Veneno was so concerned. It left him with more questions no one could answer.

All they had were theories. Technically, Veneno was still an experiment. If something was happening to his body, it was anyone's guess. He couldn't go to a doctor. Experimentation made him this way. Even to himself, Veneno's physiology was a mystery. Some things he had to discover on his own.

He certainly didn't want Mayuri finding out for him. Most of all, it sounded painful. Even for answers, there was no way Veneno was going back to that. He had suffered enough.

Rukia followed Veneno to Mayuri's lab. Veneno was a man on a mission. He shoved any Soul Reaper in his path out of the way and kept marching. He didn't stop for a second. Rukia hurried to keep up.

When they reached a door, Veneno kicked it open and stormed inside. Mayuri stopped what he was doing and looked up with a yellow grin.

"Oh, how wonderful to see you again. Have you changed your mind and decided to resign yourself to-"

Veneno stopped in the center of the room and looked around at the different monitors. "Where's the one you use for records? The archives?"

"What?"

"When I was here before, I read the history of this place. What you taught Soul Reapers at your academy and your rules. I learned so much, but those were in books and written on paper. I'm talking about the digital ones. I know you keep records on file as well. On you computer. Including backgrounds of Soul Reapers and their abilities. Things you've come across over time and added them into the history so you can look back on it. That stuff."

"You want that?" Mayuri looked confused. It was as if Mayuri had offered Veneno gold but he just wanted the wooden box it came in. "Records and files?"

"You do add to them, don't you? Everything you've come across."

"Of course I do. I've added plenty to them, but I'm not the only one with access. Many others have-"

"But it is on your computer, isn't it?"

Mayuri frowned. "Well, of course it is. But again, that database isn't just-"

"I know. Other Soul Reapers can look at that stuff. But is it anyone?"

"It's restricted, the files you're talking about," said Mayuri. "I can get into them and so can the Head Captain and a few other Soul Reapers. Ones on in the court and other higher-ups. Why so interested all of a sudden?"

Veneno looked at the monitor hanging over a large keyboard behind Mayuri. There were different formulas he couldn't understand and measurements, the numbers of which were lined up beside the different ingredients. He frowned looking at the screen. "What is that?" he asked, pointing. "Is that the cure you're working on?"

"No. Just the parts I've managed to isolate from-"

"Is that uploaded to the records?"

"Not officially. I'm still working on it." Mayuri was getting tired of this. Not only was Veneno interrupting him, he was asking far too many questions. "What is it already? Tell me what's going on now."

"The Quincy has seen the records," Veneno said bluntly. "Somehow their leader has found his way into your records and gained access to everything on file. That's how he knows about the Soul Reapers he's facing and their powers. You had also added Victor's Hollow formula to your records when he used it. That's how he knew about it. He read the file. He's been spying on you guys. That's why he's so prepared."

Rukia gasped. "That's how he knew where and how to strike. No wonder we looked unprepared. He had a cheat-sheet!"

Victor looked insulted and embarrassed. "That's how he got his hands on my serum." Then he turned to Mayuri with a look of annoyance. "This is why I don't write anything down. For just this sort of situation. I don't want someone spying on me or taking something that doesn't belong to them. This could have been avoidable if you hadn't written it down."

Victor looked angry. He had every right to be. If Mayuri hadn't added the information to the database, the Quincy wouldn't have had access to the records and taken the information. He wouldn't have been able to poison Ichigo.

Mayuri was beside himself with shock and rage. A Quincy hacking into his system without him knowing about it was an impossibility as far as he was concerned. He asked himself over and over how this could have happened. All the information the Quincy had was stolen from him.

"This is your fault."

Mayuri turned on him. "My fault?!"

Veneno flinched at his raised voice. Rukia backed away seeing Mayuri take a step towards Victor.

"This is my fault?! You're the one who created it! If it weren't for you, none of this would be happening!"

"I wasn't the one who wrote it down. You were. It was my serum. What business is it of yours? Why do you need it? Such information-"

"Such information nearly destroyed us! I had to get that information down to add it to the record to avoid such a thing from happening again in the future. Any information I can gather could be useful."

"It was also useful for the Quincy."

Mayuri threw a cart out of his way as he stomped over to Victor. "You are the one who created it! It doesn't matter what I did or did not do. The fault falls on the one who started it! If you hadn't created that serum, I never would have gotten the information and put it on file and the Quincy would have had nothing to steal. Therefore, the fault is yours!"

"I never-"

"You never intended this, did you? Writing it down or not, you still created it. Take some responsibility! You made it and used it! That is the only reason we have it on file. You started this whole thing!"

Victor kept a stiff jaw no matter what Mayuri threw at him. Once Mayuri had finished, it was Victor's turn to speak. Instead of yelling, Victor sighed and lowered his head.

"You're right," he admitted. "No matter my intention, I still created it."

Rukia felt sorry for Victor. Though there was an argument, she still didn't believe it was all his fault. Anything could be turned into a weapon with the wrong person wielding it. Even with the best of intentions, things could still go wrong. Simply creating something didn't make it bad or evil. It was what the person intended to use it for.

The only reason he created that serum was to please Linnette. He knew Hollows were captivated by her song and knew Linnette craved attention and wanted to be loved. Believing he could give her what she wanted by turning human beings into Hollows, he created that serum behind her back. She never asked him to do it. She never knew his intentions. He thought he was giving her a gift and fulfilling her desire. He thought she would be happy. That it was what she wanted. Only afterwords did he realize his mistake. After hearing it from her mouth did he truly know what she wanted and vowed never to use the serum again.

Mayuri turned away from Victor in a huff. "Think for yourself once in a while, man. Stop letting that girl call all the shots. You need to know when to not listen to her whims."

Victor grew angry again. "This was not her doing so do not put any blame on her. She never asked it of me. I acted on my own."

Mayuri turned around. "You sought this on your own?" Mayuri was intrigued. "Then you can think for yourself. That's good to know."

"You already knew that." Victor tried to calm himself. It was rare for him to raise his voice. He always kept a calm, dignified composure, even in battle. Calling negative attention to Linnette or speaking ill of her in any way seemed to be the only way to get him to display a more menacing side. His handsome face and gentle demeanor hid this well.

Mayuri pulled the cart closer and counted the items to make sure none of them were missing when he sent it sideways in anger.

"I wish for Linnette to be happy," Victor went on. "That is the only reason I created that serum. Not out of spite and not out of cruelty. My intentions were not wicked and I didn't wish to make you an enemy or to start a war. I was only trying to give her a captive audience. She wanted to be loved. She never got the attention she desired or needed. So I took action. Without asking her, I acted on my own and created something I thought would please her. I had no evil intentions. I just wanted to give her an audience. That was all. I wanted to make her happy."

Mayuri was about to retort but Victor cut him off before he could begin.

"But I was wrong. She was crying when she told me. Only then did I realize just how wrong I was. I misinterpreted. I gambled. I assumed." Victor looked down out of shame. "Even Cedric tried to talk sense into me but I wouldn't listen. He told me that sometimes to keep her happy and see that she was well, we had to deny her certain things. We would have to say 'no'. I didn't believe that. I couldn't see how she could be happy if she couldn't have whatever she wanted. I thought he didn't love her enough. Not as much as I did. Because I love her, I wish to give her everything. He claimed to love her as I do, but I didn't see how if he could deny her something."

Rukia remembered that fight. Victor was going to kill Cedric so he would be the only one in her life. The one who would give her anything and everything. No limitations, no restrictions. No matter what it was, he would find a way to give it to her. He felt he was doing the right thing. Only after Linnette pleaded for him to stop while sobbing her eyes out did Victor see the error of his ways and knew he was mistaken. Linnette needed balance in her life. She needed both of them. It wasn't that one loved her more than the other. They wanted to give her a good life but in different ways.

Afterword, they had changed into something favorable. Instead of being spoiled and thinking that the world revolved around her as they had originally taught her, they had changed to become a good family to her. They no longer tried to make her a star on stage the whole world would love. It was enough for them to love her and raise her so she would have people love her as she was. They had to do it together.

It must have been difficult for them, but Rukia approved of how those two had changed for the sake of the girl they loved.

Mayuri sighed. "Your personal feelings aside, this is still a problem. Whether or not you had intended it, it's a problem." Mayuri leaned against the table behind him. "And it's killing Ichigo."

Rukia looked back at Victor who wore a pained expression.

He loved Linnette and was protective of her. He and his brother were picky about who was allowed to be with her and would be suspicious of anyone who came her way. Ichigo was possibly the first one they had come to trust. They knew how much Linnette cared about him and saw that he was a good influence on her. On them as well. With Ichigo's help, they decided to change for her sake. They respected him. Perhaps even call him a friend. He and Linnette were friends.

It was extremely rare for them to care about anyone other than Linnette. Ichigo was possibly the only one they shared concern for. They cared about him as well. Not just because of Linnette's feelings, but because they liked him as well.

Knowing that it was his serum that was making Ichigo suffer was painful for Victor. He had to accept it. Even the possibility that it could cause Ichigo's death.

This was very hard for him. For all three of them. They could lose someone they cared about and call a friend. Ichigo was important to them.

Victor didn't want his serum to be the cause of anything evil happening to Ichigo. He didn't want it to kill him. He didn't want it to be responsible. After all, he was the creator.

Mayuri turned to look at the screen behind him. He cursed under his breath. He was furious that the lead Quincy was able to sneak a peek at their restricted files and the information in the archives.

"They knew about me as well," mentioned Veneno. "The lead Quincy knew about how I tried to take over this place. He also knew that Ichigo had defeated me."

"Yes, yes," said Mayuri. "That was all added into our history. It was all mentioned. Along with the power you possessed to transform people into Hollows." He shot a look back at Victor. "A lot of that going around..."

"But he didn't know about my revival," said Veneno. "I know you had Akon taking notes on my recovery and you were helping me heal in the lab. But that was done in a private lab you had access to and no one else was allowed in there."

Mayuri's eyes lit up. "He didn't get to my private personal files. The ones I keep separate from everyone. Even the Head Captain hasn't a clue what goes in them. It's all off the record."

"So then you know which files he got into?" said Rukia.

"More importantly, I know which ones he didn't get into. I can work with this." Mayuri started typing on the keyboard and the screen changed. "He didn't access my files. I doubt he even knows I have them. The Head Captain certainly doesn't and it's going to stay that way, you hear?"

They nodded.

Mayuri kept typing. "Those notes about your recovery are mine alone. To everyone else, it's as if it never happened. Only I have access. Which means, this stuff is safe. On the downside, the Quincy has all your profile information. Your positions, powers, names... That's why he knew about Captain Soi Fon's Zanpakuto before she released it. Yes, I heard about that. That Quincy she was fighting knew what it could do and knew to avoid it and use Ichigo as a shield. Crafty."

"Now that he has that information, what do we do?"

"Nothing," said Mayuri. "He's already read it."

"Can't you just change the files and add information to them? You know, to confuse him?" said Rukia.

"Of course not. Even if I changed the files in any way, what good would it do if he already has them memorized?" said Mayuri. "And besides, if I did start altering the information, he's going to know that we know he's been in it and get suspicious. He won't trust anything we put in it and he'll know that we're on to him. Complete waste of time."

"Then what do we do?"

"Nothing," said Mayuri. He didn't sound worried at all. "What's done is done. He already saw our hand. We'll just have to deal with it and fight him anyway. At least we know which ones he's seen. This narrows it down."

Victor was thinking. "Is there any possible way you could trace him? He got into the information somehow. Perhaps he left a trail. It could lead us to his location."

Mayuri gave Victor a look of pride. "Sometimes I don't give you enough credit. I knew you were smart but..." Mayuri started typing again. "In theory, yes, I could trace him. If we find his location, we could get the jump on him rather than all this running around."

"But what about Ichigo?" asked Veneno. "Aren't you working on a cure for him? Shouldn't that come first?"

"They're both of equal importance, but first things first." Mayuri kept typing. "A cure will still take some time. And if we know where the Quincy is hiding, we can get there and see if he has his own notes on a cure. We must also be open to the possibility that even if we do cure Ichigo the Quincy could have another serum to inject him with the instant he's out of the woods. If we get to that lab first, we can hinder his work. He must have a lab."

Veneno didn't want Mayuri's attention to be on anything other than a cure. He wanted Ichigo fixed as soon as possible. The longer he was like this, the shorter his life would be.

"I need to see Ichigo and make sure he's ok," he said.

Rukia grabbed his arm to keep him from leaving. "Not so fast. The Quincy thinks you're dead. If you go back there, he'll know you're not. You need to stay here and act as a trump-card. You could be a great sneak-attack, Veneno. They could use a surprise."

She had a point. If he went back there, they would know he was still alive and he would no longer have the element of surprise. They could use his clone's death to their advantage.

"I'll go. And I'll bring Ichigo some supplies," said Rukia.

"Does your Captain know you're sneaking out again?" asked Mayuri.

"Does the Head Captain know about you withholding information and storing them on secret files?"

"Touche."

* * *

Against the advice from the medics in the sickbay, Soi Fon was leaving. Now that she was stable and her life was not in danger, she was determined to leave the Seireitei and finish what she had started. She was going after the Quincy who did this to her and put an end to him. She wasn't out for revenge. She knew how dangerous he was. The sooner he was done away with, the better. She didn't want another Soul Reaper to be sent to the sickbay the way she was. Or if they even made it that far. That Quincy was deadly. She had to stop him.

* * *

Please review! ^-^


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter: 19**

Time made no sense to Ichigo. He couldn't tell if it had been five minutes or five days, a second or an hour. He had no idea how long he had been a Hollow or how long he had been normal. Everything blended together in such a confusing and endless fashion.

He was grateful to have Shinji with him to talk him through the pain. Whenever he felt nauseous, which was almost constant, Shinji would rub his back and shush him. It was comforting to have him near. When his body went into convulsions from the intense pain, Shinji would let Ichigo squeeze his hand and tried to distract him from the pain by talking.

Ichigo finally ran out of strength and lay on the ground, flat on his back, and panted. Shinji's voice was distorted and he was seeing three of him. Though he was laying still, he felt as if he were spinning. It was as if someone was tilting the world onto one side, like pulling a rug out from underneath him.

"Ichigo..?"

He turned his head to look at Shinji. He sounded so far away but he was so close he could reach out and touch him.

"Ichigo..?"

Ichigo closed his eyes for a moment. No sooner had he done so did he feel Shinji shaking him.

"I'm worried if you pass out, you'll lose control and become a Hollow again. I can't take you on by myself. Stay with it."

Ichigo nodded his head. "I'm just resting my eyes for a second." He had no strength left in his body. He could no longer move. He was drained of his energy.

He felt Shinji tap him and opened his eyes. He saw Rukia coming closer and set something down beside him. Shinji lifted Ichigo into a sitting position and Rukia held something up to his mouth. He tasted water on his tongue and swallowed. The water felt good on his dry throat. It washed away the burning feeling he felt whenever he tried to swallow. He started drinking eagerly, gulping down the water as fast as he could. He wasn't satisfied yet. He needed more.

"Drink it slowly, Ichigo," Rukia told him. "Slowly. That's it. Slowly."

Ichigo drank every drop of water she offered him and asked for more. She only agreed to give him more if he drank more slowly and took the time to breathe. She helped him drink again. It was a lot like feeding a baby. Ichigo had no strength in his body so he needed someone to hold him up and support his head while Rukia poured the water into his open mouth.

"That's it. Nice and slow. That's right..."

Ichigo started coughing and spat water onto his chest. Rukia took away the bottle and helped Ichigo hunch over to cough and get air into his lungs. She couldn't believe how frail he was. Ichigo was getting weaker.

There wasn't much time.

Ichigo caught his breath. "Thanks, Rukia."

"Don't mention it." Rukia looked at Shinji. "Lay him down."

Ichigo was placed on the ground, his head resting on a bag Rukia had placed behind him. He felt her put a moist cloth on his forehead. She was trying to bring down his fever and rehydrate him. She didn't offer him any food but Ichigo wouldn't have been able to ate any of it anyway. He had no appetite and would have ended up throwing it up.

"What now?" asked Shinji.

"Mayuri still hasn't found a cure yet but he's still working on it."

"Ichigo can't wait much longer. You see how he is."

"I know, I know. But what can we do?"

Ichigo was having a hard time breathing. It felt like he had bricks on his chest. He had no feeling in his limbs so he couldn't move. Something was wrong. He could sense it. He wouldn't be able to maintain this form for much longer.

"Ruki... Shin..." He couldn't speak.

"He's in a bad way, Rukia. I've spent all this time with him and I know what I'm talking about."

"What do you suggest we do?"

"I don't know."

"We can't do anything. Believe me, I want to. But I can't. I don't have answers. All we can do is be there for him and try to make him as comfortable as possible. I just gave him water and that's a big thing. I'm trying to bring down his fever but that's-"

Ichigo started screaming. His body was going into convulsions again. His skin was starting to turn white and a mask was starting to form around his face. He had run out of time.

Rukia and Shinji broke away from him as he transformed. The Hollow was already on the attack and slashed at the two of them.

"Damn," said Shinji. "One second he's weak and we have to take care of him, and the next he's attacking us and we have to fight him."

Once again they were facing a rampaging Ichigo. He roared and fired at cero straight at them.

Knowing he couldn't handle being attacked in his current condition, Shinji and Rukia had to be careful. They didn't want to risk injuring him when he was already in a weakened state. He might not be able to handle it. Every hit counted. The best they could do was dodge.

"You two!"

Rukia and Shinji turned around. Soi Fon was running at them from behind. She had a few members from her Squad following her shadow.

"Get away from him!" Soi Fon ordered.

Reluctantly, the two stepped away as her Squad moved in. They formed a circle around Ichigo and started to perform Kido to keep him restrained. Ichigo raged and roared. The Kido didn't hold him for long. He broke his bonds and they formed new ones to hold him in place. Ichigo soon broke those as well.

"Captain Soi Fon-"

She held up her hand to Rukia. "You left without proper permission from your Captain. Do I need to tell you what that means?"

"I know it's something I shouldn't have done and I will probably receive punishment for it when I return."

"Probably?"

"But Captain Soi Fon, please understand... I had to be with Ichigo. He needed help. He managed to change back to normal and I was bringing him water. He's running a fever and I just-"

"Don't whine to me about it," snapped Soi Fon. "I understand that you were trying to help him, but this... This is not..." Soi Fon couldn't form the words.

Even while reprimanding Rukia, Soi Fon knew why she had taken action without orders and came to help a friend. Honestly, she was more upset at Rukia putting herself in danger with Ichigo being as unpredictable as he was.

"More importantly," Soi Fon continued, "we need to keep tabs on everyone in the Seireitei. We can't have too many people out here. The enemy could take this opportunity to attack the Seireitei while we're out here dealing with Ichigo. Did you stop to think of that?"

"I did," said Shinji.

"The more people we have out here, the less we have defending the Seireitei. We need to know where you are. We also have to keep track of the body count. The enemy could kidnap someone or worse. Don't have us running around in a panic."

"I'm sorry-"

"Most of all, Ichigo is unpredictable. You going out here to take care of him is foolish. He could kill you. And if you're on your own, no one will know what happened to you or be able to help you should something happen. You are a Lieutenant now. Be smarter about this."

"And yet you're out here," said Shinji. "You just barely recovered from the Quincy and you're out here again? The same day? Give yourself more time to recover. But instead you're out here for revenge. Well, he's not here so you can go back-"

"I didn't come here for revenge. That Quincy needs to be taken care of. He could hurt someone else and he must be stopped before that happens. He's dangerous. You know that. I am not foolish enough to go looking for him for revenge. I know what must be done." Soi Fon looked at Ichigo who had broken his bonds again. "Right now, Ichigo needs to be dealt with. He's a massive danger as well. To himself and others."

Rukia was fearful of what she meant. Soi Fon's words were cryptic. "You're not going to..?"

"We have to contain him. The Head Captain didn't give us permission to eliminate him yet. But..." Soi Fon frowned at Ichigo's monstrous image. "But if he proves too dangerous or kills one of our own... We may have no choice. The Head Captain gave us permission to go all the way should it come to that."

"But Ichigo's already really weak," said Rukia. "If we engage him in battle, his body might not be able to take it. Him being in this state is weakening him and him fighting while like this is only making him weaker. Please consider-"

"I know what I am doing, Lieutenant. Don't question me. I said if it comes to that. As of now we're trying not to kill him."

"But I'm saying that in his weakened state, it won't take much to kill him. Please don't engage. Just avoid him and dodge his attacks. You don't have to attack him." Rukia was worried that any injury he sustained in battle could contribute to his death. Ichigo's body wouldn't be able to handle a real battle. She didn't want to take any risks.

"Captain! He's-" a Soul Reaper yelled.

Soi Fon's men were falling left and right. They couldn't contain him. They tried once again and this time Ichigo sent a shock-wave outward from his core. Soul Reapers went flying from the blast. Rukia was nearly thrown off her feet. Ichigo stood tall and roared. He didn't look weak at all. Soi Fon was confident she could strike him and it wouldn't make a difference.

"On your feet!" Soi Fon shouted to her men. "Don't give him an inch. He'll get tired and that's when he's easiest to take down."

"Take down?" Rukia gasped.

"We won't kill him," assured Soi Fon. "We'll contain him." She gave her men the order. "Move in now!"

"Ma'am!" They hurried in but Ichigo still had some fight in him. He roared and fired a cero at their heads. He slammed his arm into a couple and threw them into the air. Ichigo stomped on the ones on the ground with injuries. Rukia had to help her fellow Soul Reapers. She dashed in and pulled the injured to safety.

"This is ridiculous," muttered Soi Fon. "Making my men look weak..."

More men were sent flying and a few of them were given terrible injuries. She couldn't stand by and let this continue. If Ichigo was still strong enough to send them flying, he had to be weakened further. She would be the one to do it. She had to weaken him so he could be restrained.

"Captain Hirako, I need you to back me up. We're going in before anyone else gets injured."

Shinji was reluctant. He knew Rukia was right in that Ichigo was in a weakened state. Any injury, however minor, could become fatal to him. It was a huge risk, but it was was their only option at this point. It was either that or let more Soul Reapers fall or even get killed. Something had to be done.

Ichigo rounded on the Captains next. He opened his mouth with a growl.

"Here he comes. Get ready."

Shinji nodded.

"You block, I attack."

"Got it."

Ichigo stomped over to them and raised his arm high over their heads. As soon as that arm was blocked, she would aim for Ichigo's stomach. The arm came down and Soi Fon realized that Shinji wasn't going to block. Soi Fon jumped aside as the arm came down right beside her. Shinji and Soi Fon retreated to a safe distance as Ichigo roared.

"What the hell?" Soi Fon shouted angrily. "I had a shot! Why didn't you block like I said?"

Shinji looked confused. "I.. I don't know... I- I- I couldn't."

"Now's your chance!" Soi Fon's eyes were on Ichigo who was aiming at them again. "Block!"

Ichigo's arm came down and Soi Fon was left to block on her own. Ichigo took his other arm and slammed into her from the side. Her feet slid on the dirt but she was still standing.

She turned back to Shinji who had his hand on the hilt of his sword. "Why didn't you block?" she demanded. "Use you weapon!"

"I- I'm trying! But..." Shinji looked down at his sword. "My arm won't let me draw!"

"What?" Soi Fon wasn't buying his excuse.

It wasn't an excuse. It was a fact. Shinji couldn't get his arm to obey him. It was as if it had a mind of its own. It wouldn't let him draw his sword. The hand gripping the handle of his weapon wouldn't budge. No matter how he tried, it wouldn't move.

"What the hell is this?" Shinji wondered aloud. "Why? Why is this happening? Why can't I move my body?"

It had been years since the last time he felt this way. The feeling of having someone else in control of his body.

"I can't let you do that, Pharaoh."

Shinji's breath caught in his throat. He knew that voice. "You. It's you."

"Been a while since we last spoke, hasn't it?"

"You're the one doing this," Shinji growled at his inner Hollow. "Why are you doing this? You haven't interfered in my business in a long, long time. Why now?"

"I can't let you hurt Ichigo. If you do, she will be sad. I can't have that."

"She?" Shinji knew what was happening. "So... it was her. She used her voice on me."

"On us."

"Whatever. The point is this was her doing. No wonder I don't remember ever leaving the meeting. I should have known but I was too hazy to think."

"My sweet little kitten gave me an order. She doesn't want Ichigo to die. She doesn't want anyone to hurt him. I had to interfere because you were about to do that. There's no way I can let that happen. I'm not going to be the one who allowed tears to form in her pretty little eyes. I couldn't bear it. You understand."

"Ha. So compassionate all of a sudden," Shinji scoffed. "Where was that during out battle for control? You really came at me. You didn't want to listen to me because you didn't want to be tamed. Yet you willingly do it for her?"

"What can I say? She has a certain charm that you lack."

Shinji rolled his eyes.

"She doesn't want Ichigo to get hurt. She doesn't want him to die. You want to talk compassion..." The voice of his Hollow sighed. "It's not just her doing, you know. You don't want to hurt him either. Even you know this is wrong."

Shinji had nothing to say. His Hollow was so insightful. He knew what he was thinking and feeling. He knew that Shinji's heart wasn't in it. He didn't want to hurt Ichigo either. He didn't want to risk killing him.

"That's why it was so easy for me to take over. You're thinking and feeling the same thing. We are both in agreement, Pharaoh. You don't want Ichigo to die. So I can't let you draw your weapon if it's going to be used against him."

That's right. He was conflicted. Shinji truly didn't want to hurt Ichigo. He didn't want to kill him. Sensing this, his Hollow tried to reason with him. He wanted Shinji to fight alongside him so he could carry out Linnette's wish.

Shinji believed in Ichigo. They were friends. He trusted him. Depended on him in times of great need. He couldn't kill him so easily. After seeing Ichigo in a weakened state from the Hollow serum, Shinji knew Ichigo's body couldn't handle much. He pitied Ichigo. He felt sorry for him and didn't want him to suffer. Having a Hollow side himself, Shinji had a connection with Ichigo. They could understand each other. Shinji didn't have Hollow powers by choice, so Ichigo's situation was familiar to him.

How could he possibly kill him knowing all this? Ichigo needed help, not a cage and certainly didn't deserve death.

Shinji knew what that felt like. Something to be killed for possessing a certain power. It was the same. The only true difference was that Ichigo's Hollowfication wasn't normal. Not only was it forced, but it was a poison. Ichigo even mentioned that his Hollow self was suffering. That proved that this wasn't true Hollowfication. His Hollow self wouldn't be in pain if it was normal.

He couldn't kill him. He had to disobey orders. Shinji's Hollow was right. He didn't want to swing his sword. He didn't want to hurt Ichigo. He wanted to save him.

Shinji wanted to do it for a friend and out of a sense of justice. His Hollow wanted to do it for Linnette.

"Captain Hirako!" Soi Fon shouted to him. "Stop standing there and do something!"

Shinji looked up. Ichigo was coming closer, snarling. Shinji jumped back and stood at a distance. He had to think of a way to stop Ichigo without causing him any harm.

"Create an opening for me!" Soi Fon ordered. "I'm going in."

Shinji couldn't follow that order. "I can't! Captain Soi Fon, please listen. If we cause Ichigo any damage, it could be fatal, even if it wasn't meant to be. Even a minor injury could do it."

"Then what do you suggest? Let him keep attacking us like this?"

"I..." Shinji couldn't answer.

Soi Fon had to do this. She couldn't let her men die. The enemy wanted Ichigo dead anyway so it was unlikely for him to survive even if they held back. It was a question of how many Ichigo could take with him. Soi Fon couldn't allow that.

"Captain Soi Fon!" A Soul Reaper came from further away missing a sleeve. "You must come quick!"

"I'm busy right now!"

"This takes priority," he insisted. "There are Hollows near one of the Districts. A town not far. We can't handle them all by ourselves. And there are civilians there as well. They are in danger. We need help evacuating and taking down the Hollows."

Soi Fon looked at Ichigo stumbling around looking for a new target.

"And Captain... These Hollows... They seem to be the same as Kurosaki. We believe they were experimented on as well."

Soi Fon turned around. If that were true, then that meant the enemy wasn't far behind. There were no reports of any Hollow activity on the way to Ichigo's location so this must have been very recent. The Quincy couldn't have been far.

"Right." Soi Fon was heading to that location. "You two keep him busy. I have to take care of this." Soi Fon hurried off with the other Soul Reaper.

Rukia and Shinji looked at each other.

When Ichigo struck, Shinji pulled his sword out to protect himself. He could move freely again. His Hollow must have given him back control over his arm knowing that Shinji would not turn it against Ichigo.

* * *

Soi Fon followed the Soul Reaper to the location he spoke of. On her way to Ichigo's location, she had a few of her men take a different route in case there was trouble. She suspected that any number of things could happen. Sending some of the men a different way allowed them to spot anyone who may have been hiding nearby, and they could act as backup should something happen to Soi Fon or her other men that their location. They could even spot other dangers just like now. Soi Fon would have never known there was a town in trouble if her men hadn't been sent out this way.

Soi Fon looked around once they made it into town. It looked like a wave of destruction had hit, blowing holes if roofs and shattering windows. She could hear Hollows growling but couldn't see them. She did, however, see one of her men staggering out of a building, missing his left arm. Another man called to her from a different building.

"Captain... please... help me..."

Soi Fon had to do something. "Look to that man. I'll get this one. Look for more survivers when you can."

"Yes, ma'am."

The two parted and went to the injured men.

Soi Fon went to the man further away and tried to do whatever she could to help him. "Are you alright? Where are you injured?"

The man wasn't speaking. He only stood there.

"Speak. Tell me where you're hurt."

"Ahh!"

Soi Fon turned around and saw the man who had come with her being cut down by the one missing an arm.

"What?!"

The Soul Reaper she was tending to drew his weapon and sliced her arm.

The blood from her wound floated into the air and gathered in a ball over her head.

"Damn..!" Soi Fon had been tricked. He was here.

The Quincy she had fought before came walking out of the building behind the man who had cut her. He chuckled when he saw her.

"Captain, help me, help me," he said in a mocking tone. "Did you like my impression of a fallen comrade? Pretty good, huh? I had to make it convincing. Dead men tell no tales, baby."

Zalya kicked the Soul Reaper standing in front of him to the ground. He was already dead. Soi Fon had been talking to a corpse.

"Gee, baby... Half your men are facing Ichigo and the other are laying here dead. Funny, isn't it? Oh, but don't worry. Your men aren't the only ones I brought to the party, baby."

Innocent people who had been slain in the town came stumbling out of their homes and around buildings like puppets on strings. Two other men from her Squad came with them, dragging their feet, their arms swaying limply as they walked.

"Rising Corpses!" Zalya cheered, playing a solo on his air guitar.

* * *

Ichigo opened his eyes and found himself back in his inner world. It was very different from when he had last seen it. The buildings were falling left and right, like melting ice from a roof. They crumbled and fell out of sight. Water was beginning to rise as well. He tried to sit up but he couldn't. His body was too heavy to move.

"King..."

Ichigo turned his head to the left. His Hollow self was collapsed on a shattered piece of building. He looked sick. Even worse than the last time he saw him.

"King... Your fault..."

Ichigo frowned. "Yeah, yeah. I know. I messed up. Just shut up about it already."

"... I can't move... Everything hurts..."

"I know. Me, too."

His Hollow struggled to lift his head. "Are you going to do something or not?"

"What the hell do you want me to do?"

"Ooh, suddenly His Majesty doesn't have all the answers. You usually know exactly what you're doing. Or at least you think you do. Certainly act like it."

Ichigo clenched his fists. "What do you want me to say? I got nothing!"

"Tch. Weak as ever..."

"Then you take over and do something about this."

His Hollow started laughing. "You finally give me permission to take over and I'm too weak to do it. How ironic. How cruel." He hung his head laughter spilling from his lips. "How do you like that? I can't take over like I've always wanted. You tell me I can and I can't... Do you have any idea how that feels?"

Ichigo turned back to the skyscraper overhead. "I'm sorry."

His Hollow looked up again, staring at him in surprise. "What did you say?"

"I'm sorry."

He was stunned. He didn't know what to say.

"I'm sorry I got us into this. I'm sorry I told you to do something you can't and made you feel that way. I'm sorry for what you're going through. I'm sorry for... For what's happening."

His Hollow just stared at him. Then he frowned and turned away. "Tch. Pity. Self-hate. Your sorrow will only drown us anyway. I don't want to hear it. Those are the words of the weak. How am I supposed to respect you if you say things like that?"

"But I am."

He truly was sorry. He knew it was a trap. He should have listened to Shinji. He knew he was right but ignored it anyway.

Because of his stubbornness and impulsive actions, his Hollow was suffering. He was suffering. He didn't stop to think how many people would be effected if something should happen to him. He shared this body with another. If he died, so would his Hollow. His suffering was being passed into his other self as well. He didn't stop to consider him or what could possibly happen.

He should have foreseen this. Those experimental Hollows should have been a clue. He should have thought. He knew it was a trap. Why didn't he listen?

He knew why. He was doing this to save the life of a friend. Three friends. It was in him to protect. He couldn't just sit and wait for something to happen. He had to take action. It was in his nature. Even to not always think ahead and see what could happen if he took a certain action.

No, that wasn't it. He knew it was a trap and prepared for it. He had a plan. His enemy was just smarter.

Maybe that was why he felt the need to apologize. Not just because he felt responsible for his Hollow's suffering, but because he was angry at himself. He felt sorry for himself. That he wasn't strong enough. That's what it was. He had a plan. He did think. He was trying to be smart about this. His enemy was just better.

He wasn't as strong as he thought and that was why he had to say those words aloud.

"I just didn't want any of my friends to get hurt. I don't want them to die."

His Hollow didn't lift his head this time. "Maybe you can be selfish once in a while and think of yourself first. Ever consider that, King?"

Ichigo turned his head from side to side. "Maybe I am being selfish without thinking about it. I don't want to lose my friends. So I have to protect them. Maybe that's me being selfish. I want to keep them in my life."

He sighed. "King... Sometimes I wonder just how much you really understand."

Ichigo's eyes began to close. "Maybe I don't understand anything."

He couldn't think. He couldn't move. He couldn't do anything.

All he wanted to do was rest.

* * *

The stairs were a challenge. Ichigo always had trouble going down them standing up. It was easier going up because then he could crawl on his hands and knees like a dog. He could scoot down on his backside but he was a big boy now and had to go down the stairs like his parents. Ichigo gripped the handrail tightly with both hands as he stepped down on the first step. The handrail was right at eye level. Holding on tightly, he took big steps down the stairs. One step down with one foot, then the other foot would step beside the first so he could step again. He always had both feet on the step before he went to the next one. He wasn't confident enough to go one step at a time with one foot each. His legs weren't long enough.

Finally he made it to the floor and took a giant step off the last step. He looked around the kitchen. He was hungry. He couldn't see over the table so he had no idea if there was food waiting for him or not.

He saw a pair of legs sitting at the table and hurried over with a smile. He climbed into the adjacent seat and sat down. He could barely see over the table. Normally he had to sit on a stack of books in order to sit without his chin being directly on the table.

"There you are, baby."

Ichigo smiled at his mother.

"Are you hungry?" His mother pushed a bowl towards him along with a plastic spoon. "Here, have some."

"Can I have chocolate?" he asked in a squeaky voice.

"It's not dinnertime yet. You can have it after you eat dinner."

Ichigo was a little disappointed but all he had to do was make it through dinner and he would get some chocolate.

Ichigo took the spoon in his fist and pushed himself up in the chair. On his knees, he could reach the bowl better. He didn't know what it was but it was a fun color. He was able to eat solid foods but most of his meals were soft and easy to chew. He dipped his spoon into the bowl and lifted it up to his mouth. It was oatmeal. The color was different from the kind his parents ate but he liked it that way. It made it more fun. He didn't know what made his oatmeal a different color but he never questioned it. He just thought it made him special.

Ichigo looked at his mother who was reading in the seat beside him. "Mama."

She looked at him with a smile. "Yes, baby?"

"When they coming?"

His mother giggled and put a hand on her stomach. "We have a few months to go still."

Ichigo put more oatmeal into his mouth.

"Are you excited about having two sisters?"

"Uh-huh." He fed himself more oatmeal. He spoon brushed against his nose, smearing food onto his face.

"You get to be a big brother. How special."

"Yeah!" Ichigo flung the spoon into the air. Oatmeal splattered on the table and floor.

"Oh, you're so excited." His mother started to clean his mess without making a fuss. "But it's a very important job, Ichigo."

"I know. I can do it." Ichigo tried to scoop some oatmeal off the table with his spoon but it only smeared. So he picked it up with his hand instead and sucked on his fingers.

"Baby..." His mother cleaned his face off with a wet cloth. "I know you can do it. I believe in you, sweetie. But there's something else important that you have to understand. When your sisters come, they're going to be tiny little babies."

"I know. Like me from way, way, way not too long ago but a while."

His mother laughed at his words. "That's right. And you know how mommy and daddy had to take care of you and everything? How you couldn't feed yourself because you were so tiny and how you couldn't walk on your own?"

"Yeah, but not anymore." Ichigo held up the spoon with pride. "Now I'm grown up into a big boy! Just like mommy said I was. Now I can do stuff like you and daddy."

"That's right, Ichigo. That's very good and I'm so proud of you."

Ichigo giggled and put more oatmeal into his mouth.

"But your sisters aren't going to be able to do those things when they're born. They'll be tiny and only able to drink milk. Not big kid food like we give you. They're going to be helpless so mommy and daddy are going to have to give them lots of attention. They can't do anything on their own. They won't even be able to talk. All they can do is cry."

"Then how will you know what they need, mama?"

"That's the tough part. Daddy and I are going to have to guess and hope we get it right. If they cry, it could mean anything. It could mean that they're hungry, or need to be changed, or they're too cold or too hot, they could be cranky or hurt or even scared. And that's going to be tough to figure out so mommy and daddy need to pay extra close attention to them. And because there is going to be two of them, it will be even tougher."

His mother gave Ichigo a sympathetic smile, leaning in closer.

"That means that mommy and daddy might not be able to give you all our attention like we used to. You're growing up and can do things on your own. But your sisters won't be able to do that. So I want you to understand that we still love you and if we're not giving you as much attention as we used to, it's not because we don't care about you anymore. It's because we can't ignore your sisters. They're going to need a lot of help."

Ichigo nodded. "I get it. I know, mama."

"I promise we'll still be able to give you lots of love and attention, but you're going to have to share with your sisters. Can you do that, Ichigo? Can you show me how much of a big boy you are? And can you help make your sisters feel welcome?"

"Uh-huh. I can."

"That's my boy. Very good."

"I'll even help you. Like a grown-up, I can help take care of them, too. That way I'm still doing stuff with mommy."

"Oh, how wonderful, Ichigo. You really think you can do that?"

"Course I can! I'm a big boy!" Ichigo stood on his chair, knocking over his bowl. "Oops."

"That's ok, Ichigo. Mommy will get that."

"No, I'm a big boy. I'll clean it and show mommy how good I can help." Ichigo bent down and pressed his cheek against the smooth table top. Using his hand, he pushed the spilled oatmeal across the table and into his open mouth.

His mother started laughing.

Ichigo licked the table clean. "See? All clean!"

She was still laughing. Then she scooped him out of his chair and spun him around. Ichigo squealed with delight and laughed along with his mother. Then she pulled him in for a hug.

"Oh, Ichigo... I think I'll give the table a wash anyway. That's what mommies do. We clean up after our babies."

"But I'm not a baby anymore. I'm a big boy!"

"Yes, you are, sweetie." She kissed his forehead. "But no matter how old you get, you will always be my baby." She kissed him again and wiped the oatmeal from around his mouth with her thumb. "Mommy loves you."

* * *

Ichigo turned his head to the side. "Mommy... Mom..."

He opened his eyes.

He was back in his inner world. It was just as he left it. A crumbling mess with rising water.

Getting some strength back in his limbs, Ichigo pushed himself into a sitting position.

"What just...? What was that?"

He remembered. He was having a dream. A dream about his mother.

No, this felt different. He felt like he had lived it. It seemed so familiar.

"Did I just hear you mutter 'mommy', Your Majesty?"

Ichigo's cheeks turned pink. He couldn't help it if he muttered in his sleep, but of all things to say that was pretty embarrassing. "I, uh... was having a dream. But it was strange."

"What dream isn't?"

"No. This was different. It seemed so familiar to me. Like it really happened. I was little and my mom was still pregnant with my sisters."

His Hollow had a simple answer. "That wasn't a dream. It must have been a memory."

"A memory?"

"Why not?" His Hollow looked at the sky around them. "You're kinda inside yourself. Why wouldn't you find memories in here? Makes sense. Then again, what do I know? My body's shot, so for all I know my mind is the next thing to go. I mean, you were talking nonsense before, right? All that sorry stuff."

Ichigo wasn't paying attention. He was dwelling on the memory he just had. It was like he was living it again. He wasn't inside the memory watching it happen. It was from his perspective. He felt everything he experienced in the memory. He could even taste the oatmeal and feel his mother's kisses.

"It was strange. I don't get why that happened."

As strange as it was, it was something he enjoyed. It was the only thing pleasant to come out of this mess. Everything else he was experiencing was painful. It was nice to revisit a fond memory. Even a memory he had long forgotten he had.

* * *

Who else likes Shinji's Hollow? I love him! Both of them.

Please review! ^-^


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter: 20**

Shinji looked off in the direction Soi Fon had fled. "Something's not right. She's been gone too long."

"That man said that there were Hollows in that area and needed help. She might still be fighting."

He wasn't convinced. "I'm getting a bad feeling."

"Then go help her if you're so worried."

"I'm not leaving you alone with Ichigo."

"Her Squad's still here with me. Don't worry about it."

"They're injured and..." Shinji looked back at Ichigo who had stopped in his tracks.

With a mighty roar, his body started to crack and fall apart. He was molting again. Ichigo had regained control. He kicked his way out of the molting Hollow body and staggered away. After a few steps, Ichigo dropped to his knees and fell forward.

Rukia sheathed her sword and hurried over to him. Shinji watched from where he was. As soon as he saw Ichigo give a thumbs-up, his worry melted away.

"Shin- Uh, Captain Hirako," said Rukia. "Go help Captain Soi Fon. I'll take care of Ichigo."

"Got it." Shinji hurried off.

When he arrived at the town, it looked like a scene straight out of a horror film. There were dead bodies lumbering around in the street. He avoided them and looked for Soi Fon. He found her on the edge of town badly injured and being chased by corpses conducted by Zalya.

Shinji kept himself hidden. Zalya had no idea he was there so he had the element of surprise. In fact, this could work to his advantage. He could use his Zanpakuto since Zalya wouldn't be expecting it. "Collapse, Sakanade."

"Bye-bye, baby!" Zalya aimed the finishing attack at Soi Fon but it never reached her. "What the hell?"

Something didn't feel right. His aim was off. No, more than that. He didn't know what was happening.

Not until he smelled something sweet.

"Oh, not him again."

Shinji grabbed Soi Fon and disappeared.

"What the hell are you doing?" growled Soi Fon. "We have to finish him off. Quick, before he gets away."

"We can't take him on and you know that. If I couldn't take him on with Renji, what makes you think I can handle him on my own? You're too injured to help me fight."

Soi Fon's wounds were pretty serious. She had left the sickbay and went off to fight too soon. That was foolish of her. She hadn't fully recovered.

Soi Fon's surviving men arrived to help when they saw Shinji carrying her away. Shinji informed them that they were going back to the Seireitei for their Captain's sake. She had lost too much blood and her body was going into shock. Her life came first. Shinji knew if they tried to take down the Quincy, they would be cut down before they could reach him. They had to retreat.

* * *

Another meeting was held after Shinji's return. It was unofficial and held in the hallway, but it was a pressing issue.

"How is she?" asked Komamura.

"Ah, a little worse for wear but she'll live," said Shinji, scratching his head. "She lost a lot more blood and her arm was broken. Honestly, I don't think she stood a chance. Anymore than I would."

"I bet she thought if she could get a few strikes in with her Zanpakuto she could win," said Kensei. "Without having Ichigo to hide behind, I bet she thought she had a shot."

"This guy is not to be taken lightly. I know that from having to fight him myself," said Shinji. "That's why I knew it would be wrong to stay and fight him. A guy like him, you need a careful plan and a lot going on. You can't defeat this guy with numbers. The more people you have, the more blood he can take and make himself stronger. He can even kill and use the bodies for his army. Not good."

"So you just left him in that town?"

"The men from her Squad evacuated as many people as they could. They're all safe. She only lost a total of four men from the Squad. Thankfully there weren't more and most of the people survived. I think he only attacked that town because it was nearby and he wanted to lure out strong Soul Reapers so he could take them down."

"I side with Soi Fon on this one. This guy needs to be taken down. But at the same time you have a point. This needs careful planning. We can't just go rushing in. We'll be the next ones in the sickbay if we come back at all."

"Oh, I just love how you phrase things in such a positive way," said Rojuro.

"Ah, can it, Rose. You know I'm right. That's the reality of the situation."

Shunsui looked around at the assembled group. "So what's the plan? What now?"

The Head Captain had made his decision. "It seems we have little choice. In light of this information, I am hereby putting the Seireitei under lock-down. No one is leaving the Seireitei until further notice."

"Sir?" Shinji couldn't believe it. "Are you serious? But we can't-"

"We have already discussed it. We've concluded that the enemy is trying to lure us out so they can pick us off one by one. If we send an army outside, the Seireitei will be open to attack and there will be no one here to defend it. It seems that every time we send someone out, they come back in pieces if at all. I will not send men out to their death."

"So we just stay here and wait to be attacked?"

"I said that this is until further notice. Once a possible solution has been reached, I will lift the restriction. But to avoid more people getting injured or for the enemy to sneak their way in, we must cut ourselves off from the outside. At least until we have gathered our strength."

"But what about Rukia?" asked Shinji. "She's still out there with Ichigo. He's stable and everything but who knows what could happen while they're alone? Rukia needs back-up. Ichigo's too weak to fight."

"We are not sending out another team only to be attacked themselves in order to provide back-up. She remains where she is as she is. When she returns to the Seireitei, she will not be permitted to leave it. Not until word is given," said the Head Captain. "We only wanted a group out there to keep Kurosaki away from innocent people. Since he is still in the middle of nowhere, I see no reason to keep sending people out at this point."

"No, not until something happens. Then it's too late," Shunsui said under his breath. With a sigh, he raised his voice for the others to hear. "For now, just do what the Head Captain says. Even if you don't agree with it. This is just temporary, right? So hang in there for now and wait for this storm to blow over."

Shinji wasn't comfortable leaving Ichigo out there alone with Rukia. Even if he didn't change into a Hollow during that time, they could be attacked by the Quincies. If Shinji couldn't take on Zalya with help, how could Rukia face him alone while protecting Ichigo at the same time?

"Don't worry. Rukia's a Lieutenant now," said Shunsui as if reading his mind. "She can handle it. She's strong enough."

Shinji sighed in defeat. What could he do? He was outmatched. He could only argue. The Head Captain made the final decision.

It was his judgment call. Until further notice, by order of the Head Captain, the Seireitei was put under lock-down. No one was allowed to leave.

* * *

Yumichika was still sleeping off his fatigue in the sickbay. Ikkaku stayed with him. Watching his friend sleep was rather boring so he almost got up to leave. Almost. What kept him in his seat was the young girl sneaking in to visit.

Linnette sneaked over to Yumichika's bed for some fun. She was pretty bored herself. She crouched beside Yumichika's bed to watch him sleep. When he turned his head slightly to one side, he left several strains of hair exposed and easy to grab. Linnette took the strains of hair in her hands and started to braid them.

Yumichika felt a slight tugging on one side of his head and turned to face that direction. Linnette ducked and crawled under the bed to hide. Yumichika opened his eyes and looked around.

"Sleep well?" asked Ikkaku.

Yumichika sat up. "I'm feeling much better. I could use a snack, though."

Linnette crawled out from the other side of the bed to sneak away. Yumichika caught her and held her in place with his gaze. Linnette looked at his braid and smiled. She thought it looked cute.

"What?"

"Nothing." Linnette giggled and quickly left the room.

Yumichika looked at Ikkaku. "What was that about?"

Ikkaku was staring at the braid as well. He started to smile.

"What?" Yumichika pressed.

Ikkaku pointed. "Your hair."

Yumichika looked panicked. "What's wrong with my hair?" He started feeling around, praying no one had cut it. "I spent all this time growing it out and..."

His hand touched something lumpy on the side of his head. He quickly grabbed a mirror off the bedside table and held it up for a look. His heart was racing, fearful of what he would find.

He saw a braid on one side of his head. "Did she do this? Ikkaku, why did you let her?"

He shrugged. "I was bored. Besides, you didn't seem to mind."

"I was asleep!" Yumichika studied his hair in the mirror. "I should have known something like this would happen. That sleepover a couple years ago was a warning."

"It looks good on you," Ikkaku teased.

"Shut up. It's my hair and my look. I don't want anyone messing around with..." He tilted his head to the side. "Actually... it does look pretty good."

"Really?" Ikkaku didn't mean it. He was just teasing him.

Yumichika turned his head this way and that, looking at his reflection. "It's not bad, actually. I think I can pull this off. Yes, this is actually a good look for me. I like it." Yumichika smiled, pleased. "She didn't do a bad job this time. I might make a few adjustments, but overall, I think it suits me."

Ikkaku rolled his eyes. "I will never understand fashion."

* * *

Linnette worked her way down the hall and out into the courtyard. She had plenty of time to wander. She didn't want to bother Victor, knowing that he was helping to find a cure for Ichigo. If she bothered him, it could slow the process. She spent hours with Cedric and wanted to spend some time alone. Ukitake was doing paperwork so she didn't want to bother him. To pass the time, Cedric offered to help him if he needed it. Since he couldn't help him file paperwork, he offered to fetch him some tea or move something heavy.

She wandered pretty far from where she was staying with Ukitake. She was no longer near the sickbay either. Linnette wasn't sure where she was. She entertained herself by smelling the flowers growing along the path and counted how many cracks she stepped on.

Some muttering Soul Reapers caught her attention and she stopped to listen when Ichigo's name came into the conversation.

"Man, this is ridiculous. Can you believe this hasn't been solved yet?"

"It might be for the best. Here we are running around like idiots. What's the point of sending people out anyway? Just a big waste of time. I say this is a smart move. We need manpower here to defend this place if it gets attacked. And I'm sure it will. There are signs, man. Those Quincy guys are just buying their time. Trying to get us into a false sense of security and bam! Glad I'm not going out there."

"Yeah. Not after Captain Soi Fon returned twice for the same thing. She faced that Quincy with the blood a second time. I think she was out for revenge."

"She's strong. It's scary knowing that she was sent to the sickbay in that state. Makes me think we really don't have a chance."

"Don't talk like that. The Captains are working on a plan, I'm sure. That's why we're under lock-down. They're using this time to come up with a plan."

"If they are then why are the Captains walking around and not in a meeting coming up with something?"

"Then I guess it's the Head Captain doing it. Who knows?"

"Still... What about Lieutenant Kuchiki? I heard she's still out there. And with Kurosaki, no less. What if he tears into her?"

"I'm more worried about one of those Quincies finding her and doing her in. They could kill them both if they wanted. And with the lock-down in place, no one's coming to offer them back-up."

Linnette gasped. Rukia was still out there? Alone? They were right. What if she was attacked? Ichigo was in danger and he was a danger. The enemy could attack them as well. Rukia and Ichigo both needed help.

Linnette approached the Soul Reapers. "They can't really be doing that, right? You have to send someone to help Rukia and Ichigo."

"This doesn't concern you," they told her.

"Yes, it does! They're my friends! We have to help them. Please, can't-"

"Listen, girl... Every time someone goes out there, they get hurt. We need as many people here as possible in case we're attacked directly. If everyone's recovering in the sickbay, we're not going to have enough manpower to fight back. One of those Quincy guys uses a strange power that allows him to turn blood into a weapon. He was already here once. Now he's making his way closer and closer. If we send people out there, he could come here and then what do you think is going to happen?"

"What if something happens to Rukia? She's all alone with Ichigo and he's sick and in pain. He can't protect her if something happens."

"It might sound cruel, but it might be better to lose one person than a bunch. Kuchiki's on her own."

"And what about Ichigo?" she asked. "What about him?"

"He's a threat as he is now. He might have to be put down anyway. I'm starting to think we're wasting our time looking after him. Why not cut our losses and end it for him? He's never going to be the same again, right?"

"And we don't even know if there is a cure in the first place. Instead of all this running around, we should just cut him down and then worry only about the Quincies."

"You can't do that!" Linnette snapped.

"There's nothing you can do here, girl. You're not a Soul Reaper. You don't have a say."

"Maybe not, but I still want to help."

"What can you do?" asked one of the men. "What power do you have? You don't stand a chance."

Linnette wanted to cry. She was trying to get confident and these men were tearing her down. She knew they were right. She was weak compared to them. But she did have power. A power.

"There's nothing you can do anyway," said the second man. "We're under lock-down. No one's allowed to leave."

"But Ichigo needs help and so does Rukia," Linnette pleaded. "I know it's dangerous, but I think if we-"

"What part of 'you don't have a say' did you not understand? Just forget about it. There's nothing you or anyone can do. There's no way you're allowed to leave and there's no possible way you can force your way through. You're not strong enough. You got nothing."

Linnette stood her ground clenching her teeth. These men were impossible.

If they weren't going to listen to her, then she was going to find someone else who would.

She turned away in a huff and ran down the street.

She had to find them. They wouldn't be as easy as calling on Victor and Cedric. They came the moment she called no matter where they were. No matter how softly she spoke their names. These guys were different. She had to be close enough for her voice to carry.

"Please!" Linnette called. "Anyone with Hollow powers come to me right now! I need your help!"

Only one answered her call. He was in the building beside her when he heard her voice. Rojuro leapt from the building's open window and landed at her feet, eyes glowing yellow.

"What is it, Milady? My glorious songbird?"

"I need to find the other two. Right now."

Rojuro knelt down. "Say no more, my dear. Come. I'll take you to them."

Linnette climbed onto his back and he carried her high above the shrubs and trees. It was a bumpy ride but she managed to hold on as he jumped from building to building. When he gestured to a couple of buildings, Linnette opened her mouth and spread her song far and wide.

"It's like a symphony without an end," Rojuro sighed contentedly.

Inside the buildings, the two Captains froze in place, hearing her song. Shinji dropped his pen and jumped out the window. Kensei turned away from the Soul Reaper he was chatting with and hurried outside. They were drawn to her voice.

Once all three were gathered and standing before her, Linnette addressed them.

"I want to help Ichigo and Rukia. They're out there alone and I know they need help. Please help me do something for them."

"With the Seireitei under lock-down," said Kensei, "It would be difficult to leave. If not impossible. The gate is closed and tunneling out is not an option. Even climbing over the wall is next to impossible. It's not as easy as you'd think. It's protected so no one can go over the wall easily. Preparations for such a task would take too long."

Linnette took in a breath. "Then I guess we'll have to force our way through. I'm leaving the Seireitei to help Ichigo. I need you three to come with me."

"Why us, Kitten?" asked Shinji. His gold eyes reflected her image as he gazed upon her. "Why not those men always following you around?"

"Because Victor needs to help find a cure for Ichigo. I can't take him away from his work. A cure might never be found in time if I do. And Cedric needs to stay here in case the blood user Quincy shows up like people say he is. Cedric can't bled so he'll be able to stop him if he comes."

"Why not send him out there to find the Quincy instead of waiting?" asked Kensei.

"Because he might have his boss with him and Cedric won't be able to attack. I think if the Quincy comes here, his boss won't be around. The boss might be in a safe place. I think he's avoiding the Seireitei. So I think this will work."

"What do we do once we reach Ichigo's location?" asked Rojuro. "Just stand and be the back-up should he need it?"

"Partly, yes," said told him. "Also, I have more ideas. I also heard that the boss Quincy was spying on the Soul Reapers. I was thinking we could find his hideout and strike there. Maybe we can find something useful. Maybe even trash the place so he can't use it and get rid of that serum so he won't be able to use it on anyone else."

They looked at each other then back at her. "Whatever you need. Command us." They bowed their heads.

These Vizard Captains were the only ones who would listen to her. They would carry out her wish and help her protect Ichigo. She wasn't going to wait around anymore and let everyone else take part in the fight. She was going to do her part. It was time for her to do something to help save Ichigo and defeat this enemy.

"First order of business..." Linnette pointed to the gate nearby. "Help me leave the Seireitei. We'll head for the gate and leave from there."

They nodded. "As you wish."

* * *

There were very few Soul Reapers near the gate. They were given orders to turn away any Soul Reapers who tried to leave and to assist anyone who returned from the outside. They were also there to stop any Quincy who tried to force their way in. It was a tense job but they had to do it.

"What's that?"

The Soul Reapers turned, seeing something running up the path towards them. It was Kensei with Linnette on his back. He was coming at them incredibly fast.

"Outta the way! And open up that gate!" he shouted.

The Soul Reapers stood frozen. They were under orders not to, but he was a Captain. Maybe he was given permission. They didn't know what to do.

"W- we can't do that, Captain!" called one Soul Reaper. "Under the circumstances, we were given orders not to-"

"Well, I have orders to go through it so open it or I'm kicking it down!"

The Soul Reapers looked at each other. "He can't really do that, can he?"

"He's scary enough. Maybe..."

"Sorry, but we're not opening the gate. And if you insist on coming, then we'll have to stop you."

Two more figures dropped down from above. "Not if we can help it!" Shinji and Rojuro started to disarm the Soul Reapers. Without using their own weapons, they knocked the swords from the Soul Reapers and shoved them aside.

"I got the gate," called Rojuro. He jumped up to speak with the gatekeeper.

"Stop!" the Soul Reapers shouted. "That's an order!"

"Ha! You ordering a Captain around? That's rich." Shinji laughed.

"Stop them!"

The Soul Reapers tried to use Kido to stop the Captains but Shinji was too fast for them. They ended up missing and using Kido on each other. They tried to use force to stop them. Shinji was still too fast for them.

Linnette felt a hand on her arm. Someone was pulling her off Kensei's back. She screamed, pulling against the Soul Reaper.

"Hands off!" Kensei spun around and kicked the Soul Reaper in the jaw. "Are you hurt?" he asked her gently.

"I'm fine." Linnette kept a tight hold on Kensei.

Shinji skipped around a couple of Soul Reapers, avoiding their attempts to grab him. "So relentless. I might have to do something about you." He raised his hand as if to slip on his mask. He was going to fire a cero at them.

"Don't!" Linnette ordered. "I just want to get through the gate. Don't hurt them!"

He stopped. "As you wish." He lowered his hand and stepped aside as another one made a grab for him.

The Soul Reapers found their weapons and attacked both Shinji and Kensei. Keeping a firm hold around his shoulders, Linnette clung to Kensei as he punched and kicked any Soul Reapers who came his way. She bounced on his back and was nearly thrown off once or twice.

The gate started to creak open.

"Now!" Rojuro said jumping down from above.

Kensei set Linnette on the ground. "I'm going to have to switch you to the front for a bit. Hang on tight."

"Ok." She knew they wouldn't let any harm come to her.

Kensei lifted Linnette into his arms and bent his knees. He then jumped straight up to avoid the Soul Reapers attacking from all side. They collided with each other and fell to the ground groaning in pain. Kensei landed on the other side of their huddled bodies and ran forward. The gate was already beginning to close. Kensei hunched over, pressing Linnette into his chest. He dove out the bottom of the gate, Linnette's body so close to the ground she could shake hands with her shadow. Kensei rolled and stood up. He looked back to see if Shinji was still behind him.

Shinji pushed a Soul Reaper aside and slid under the closing gate like a baseball player to home base. He looked back to see the gate close behind them and nodded to the others.

Linnette pointed in the direction she wanted to go in.

They ran together toward the horizon. Linnette held Kensei close, feeling safe in his arms. The two Captains flanked her on either side, shoulder to shoulder with Kensei.

If no one else was going to help Ichigo and Rukia, then it was up to them. They would be the ones to do it.

Linnette led her army of three into battle.

* * *

In Squad 12's laboratory, Mayuri turned away from one of the monitors to check on Victor who had become very still. "Something the matter?"

Victor was looking off in the distance, staring at something no one else could see. "It's nothing," he said softly and turned back to his work.

* * *

Please review! ^-^


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter: 21**

"What do you mean they left?"

The Soul Reapers guarding the gate trembled before Squad 1's Lieutenant. They knew they were in trouble.

"We're sorry. They just... They wanted to leave and they did."

"If it matters, that girl was with them. You know the one. She hangs around those two strange men."

The Lieutenant paused. This was important information.

"So, uh... Are we cool?"

He didn't answer their question. He knew what this meant. If Linnette was involved, it was no wonder those Captains were so determined to leave.

For the time being, he would keep this information to himself. Speaking of it too soon would cause trouble.

* * *

Ichigo turned his head, looking at Rukia who was placing another damp cloth on his forehead.

"Want something to drink?" she asked him when she saw him looking at her.

"Little bit."

She sat him up and helped him drink.

"I'm dizzy."

"I know," she told him. "I'm trying to bring your fever down a little bit. I think it's helping a little."

He was set back down on the ground to rest. His body was in so much pain. He was so weak and tired.

"I don't know what to do for you," Rukia said quietly. "This isn't normal Hollowfication. This is... I don't know what this is. It's... It's a poison. Holowfication doesn't kill you or make you weak like this. He injected you with poison. We're working on a cure, but I don't know what else I can do for you."

All she could do was be near him and give him water. She was trying to bring down his fever but she wasn't sure if that was helping his condition in the slightest. She felt so helpless. She always knew what Ichigo needed. Whether it was a pep-talk or a kick in the pants. This was very different. She didn't know what to do for him.

"You... could hold my hand..."

Rukia looked down at him. "Wh- what are you saying? C- come on. This is not time... Don't do this to me now. You're..."

"It's not romantic. I just need a hand to squeeze." Ichigo grimaced in pain. "My body is... It feels like someone has my limbs in a vice. I need a hand to squeeze. That's all."

Before Rukia was embarrassed at his statement. Now she felt sympathetic. He was in pain and needed someone there. "Ok." She slipped her hand into Ichigo's and he squeezed it tight.

His grip was so strong and hot. His temperature had not gone down by much.

She felt the strength leave his hand and he relaxed, the pain in his body subsiding.

Ichigo started to close his eyes.

"Stay with me, Ichigo." She nudged him. "If you pass out, you might lose control and your Hollow will return."

"Not my Hollow," Ichigo said weakly. "He's not the one in control. He's hurting, too. But I know what you mean. Shinji said the same thing. But I don't know how much longer I can do this. My body is weak enough as it is. Eventually it's going to give out on me whether or not I want it to."

His body needed rest. Even if he didn't want it to, his body would shut down. Rukia knew that.

Ichigo needed all the strength he could get. Resting was the best way to do that, but it was also dangerous. His body was under stress as a Hollow because of the serum. He would become weaker the longer he was a Hollow, but he would also become weaker in his normal state because he was using all his strength to suppress the Hollow. It was another no-win situation.

Rukia adjusted the cloth on his head. "Just hang in there, Ichigo."

Ichigo didn't admit it out loud, but there was another reason he wanted to hold her hand. His body was numb most of the time and he was so disoriented, he didn't always know where he was or what was happening around him. Having her hand in his helped remind him that someone was close by. That he had someone with him.

* * *

Shinji opened his eyes and found himself on the ground. He realized he was outside the Seireitei. "What the hell happened? I don't remember..." If he was just waking up, then he did not leave the Seireitei willingly. Someone must have taken him.

He sat up, looking around. He spotted two other Captains with him sprawled out on the ground nearby.

"Rose, Kensei. Get up."

Rojuro responded first. "Why are you..?" He sat up quickly, looking around. "Wait a minute... This isn't the Seireitei. I thought we were... How did we get out here?"

"What's with the complaining? I'm trying to take a nap here." Kensei sat up, just as confused as the others. "Where the hell are we?"

"Outside the Seireitei," answered Shinji.

"How did we get here?"

"I don't remember a thing," said Rojuro.

Shinji kept looking around for clues. That's when he noticed they were not alone. A girl was with them, sitting on a rock looking straight ahead.

"Aw, dammit. I should have known it would be her," Kensei grumbled.

"Ohh!" Rojuro whined loudly. "And we tried so hard to avoid her for this very reason."

Linnette finally turned their way. "Sorry."

"Sorry?" Kensei snapped. "You're sorry? I'll give you something to be sorry about!"

"Hold on there!" Rojuro stepped in front of his friend. "You're seriously going to beat up a young girl? And one who can't even fight back? Have you no shame?"

"I wasn't really going to thrash her. Just scare her a little."

"You know she can control you, right? Do you really think she would let you?"

"Who cares?!" Kensei threw his hands into the air and paced the ground. "That's it. We're done. It's over. That's it. It's blown. That's it."

"Stop your ranting," said Rojuro.

"It's a rant worthy situation!" Kensei pointed. "Does she even know what she's done?"

"I got you to leave the Seireitei with me by having your Hollow selves take control over your bodies," said Linnette. "I'm sorry."

"Sorry don't cut it!" Kensei said loudly. He sounded like he was reprimanding a disobedient child. "Do you have any idea what you've done? What that sparked? Any clue?"

Linnette flinched at his tone. She didn't like being yelled at and Kensei was pretty intimidating. If he decided to punch her, she didn't have Victor or Cedric here to protect her.

"Easy, easy!" Shinji tried to calm him down. "She doesn't know our laws. She probably has no clue."

"All the more reason she shouldn't have acted!"

"I'll talk to her," Shinji insisted.

Kensei paced the ground again, trying to cool down.

Shinji tried to reason with her gently, though he was pretty upset about this himself. "Listen, there's kind of this rule we Soul Reapers have about not having Hollow powers and stuff. That's why we were living on the run kinda. Only after we defeated this bad guy called Aizen did the important Soul Reaper guys agree to give us another chance. They were worried about our powers being out of control. But when they saw us work together and help out a lot, they figured we weren't dangerous. There was a whole bunch of stuff that went on. Lots of conditions and meetings and talks and a whole thing."

"Basically, they agreed to let us be Captains again and gave us our old jobs back," said Rojuro. "Once we convinced them that we weren't a threat or anything. I guess you could say we were given a pardon."

"Anyway..." Shinji continued. "We had to convince them that we had full control over our Hollow powers and that nothing would happen. You doing what you did could have changed that for us. They'll think we lost control and there will be consequences."

"The whole thing was blown thanks to her!" Kensei ranted as he paced. "They're gonna think-"

"I said I was sorry but it was the only way," Linnette interrupted.

"Only way? Ha!"

Linnette folded her arms. "Ok. Then would you have come with me and helped me leave the Seireitei if I asked you nicely?"

"Hell no."

Linnette raised her brow at them. "Well."

They sighed.

"Look..." Linnette said with a sigh. "I needed your help and no one else was willing. I had no choice. You were the only ones I could get. I'm sorry I did that to you and without your permission, but I had to do it. It was an emergency." Linnette gave them a smile. "But on the plus side, you guys won't be in any trouble."

Kensei frowned. "How the hell do you figure?"

"Because I was the one in control. You weren't," she explained. "Therefore you were not in control of your actions because I was the one pulling the strings. You didn't willingly disobey an order. I made you do it. So you can't be in trouble."

"But... Our Hollows were still... We couldn't stop our Hollows from taking over so... They'll see it as..."

"It's my power and they understand that." Linnette crossed her legs, keeping her arms folded. "They know I can control Hollows and you have no say in the matter. I can make you do anything I want. It's not a matter of control. So they can't find you at fault. Anymore than they can find it your fault for the Seireitei being attacked by Quincies. It's out of your hands and you have no say in what happens."

They looked at each other.

"See? You have an excuse. The whole blame goes on me and they can't do anything to you."

Shinji shrugged. "She has a point."

"It's true," added Rojuro. "She's the one who did it. We weren't willing participants. I'm fairly sure they'll see it that way. She already said she would take the fall so we wouldn't get blamed."

"We have a perfect excuse. We weren't acting on our own and we didn't lose control. She kidnapped us. That's all. It's actually a pretty good excuse."

Kensei sighed. "Yeah, I guess... But what the hell are we doing out here?"

"I need you to help me help Ichigo," said Linnette. "I can't do it alone and need your help."

"Aw, jeez..." Kensei rubbed the back of his neck. "We've been over this back at the meeting. No one's allowed to leave in case we're attacked. And anyone who is out here is bound to be picked off by the Quincies. They're waiting for us, I'm sure. That's their game plan. We send strong guys out here to do something about Ichigo and leave the Seireitei vulnerable. Not a good idea."

"But Rukia can't do it alone. What if she's attacked by a Quincy? Ichigo's too weak to do anything."

"And what about us?" he asked her. "So we go out here to get our ass kicked? We agreed to stand by until an actual plan is thought up. So far we're just running out here and running back with injuries. Back and forth, back and forth. It's stupid."

"I'm not leaving them out here!" Linnette said sharply.

"Then you do something about it!" Kensei threw back just as loud. "Don't rope us into it."

"Kensei... she's just a girl. She's not even a Soul Reaper," said Rojuro. "You really expect her to be able to do something?"

"And she expects us to? Come on, Rose. She's too weak to do anything herself so she uses others. How fair is that? She had a goal but she has other people do the work for her. It's pathetic. She has a goal, she should be the one to see it through and-"

Shinji cleared his throat and tilted his head in Linnette's direction.

When Kensei looked, he saw Linnette with her head down. She looked like she was crying. He didn't mean to upset her. Maybe a little to get his point across but he didn't want to make her cry. Now he felt bad. He didn't want to appear weak in front of them so he held his ground and kept a stern expression, even though he felt like apologizing on the inside.

"You're right," she admitted. "I often let other people do things for me. I'm too weak to fight so I have other people do the fighting for me. It's not just fighting. I can't cook either. Not without help. I can't drive yet, either, so I have Victor do the driving for me. There are places I can't reach so I have Cedric reach it for me or lift me up so I can. There are a lot of things I can't do on my own. Not because I'm lazy, but because I can't. You're right. I'm not a Soul Reaper so I can't fight like one. I can't do it. I'm not like you guys. That's why I need your help."

Most of her life, Linnette felt that things were out of her control. Being abandoned by her real mother, waiting to be adopted, living on the street for a year, getting put in another orphanage and waiting all over again for someone to come and take her home. Her bedtime was decided for her. What she ate was decided for her. The orphan the parents wanted to take home with them. Everything. She always lived with things being out of her hands.

Creating Victor and Cedric was one of the few things she actually had a say in. She got to pick her family. They still have wills of their own, and they also chose how she should live. They chose the best path they thought would be right for her. Even they decided things for her.

However, there was a slight difference. They did allow her some independence. Sometimes they even asked her permission or had her decide if what they chose was alright with her. They didn't control everything and neither did she. She was given room to grow and learn for herself. To do things on her own if she desired.

"Even when Victor and Cedric let me do things for myself, I still ask them for help. There's so much I still don't know. I'm learning slowly and getting better. But I can't get better if people don't show me the way and help me. I know I can't live without help. And that's nothing to be ashamed of. People make it sound like a bad thing, but no one can live without help. Even you guys didn't become Captains without someone's help. Someone had to train you and approve you and things like that. You weren't born as you are. You got there over time and with help from lots of people."

Linnette thought back to all the times Ichigo helped her and how she wanted to return the favor. She wasn't able to do much but she was still able to help him.

"It's not that I use people. I rely on them. I need help from a lot of people. And now Ichigo needs my help. I can't do it on my own and I know you want to help him, too." Linnette lifted her head to look at the three Captains. "Even if other people won't let you, even if your hands are tied, I'm giving you an excuse. Now you can help Ichigo, and you can help me help him. I can't do it alone so please help me. Let's do this together."

They exchanged looks.

"What do you think?"

"Well, she is right. We do want to help him."

"Ichigo does need help. And this is a good excuse. A loophole."

"And even we can't do things on our own. That's why there's a bunch of Squads and plenty of members. No one person can do it all. That's unrealistic. I guess it was wrong to criticize and judge her for things we've done ourselves. And besides, it's not like she's making us do anything we don't want to do in the first place. She's just giving us an excuse to do it so we won't get in any trouble."

"That's true."

"And Rukia being out here on her own... We can't abandon her. The Head Captain thinks she'll come back to the Seireitei if there's trouble, but I doubt she'd be willing to leave Ichigo for a second. Especially if he's going to be alone."

"The enemy is still out there. Nothing's going to get done by sitting around."

"We'll be walking into a trap. Everyone else who faced them got hurt."

"Ah, that's part of the job. We're always facing dangers. What's the difference here? Same thing."

"What do you say?"

"Oh, I think you know."

"Yup, I agree."

"Ok, then."

The Captains turned to face her.

"Alright," said Shinji. "We'll help. We're out here anyway so we might as well."

"And we sort of owe Ichigo anyway," said Rojuro. "He's done a lot for us and everyone else. We should really repay him."

"He helped us, we help him. It's only fair."

Linnette jumped to her feet. "Thanks you guys! Thanks so much."

"I just hope you have a plan," Kensei said folding his arms.

Linnette pointed. "Shinji was the last one with Ichigo and Rukia so he should know where they are."

"Thereabouts. They could have moved. But that's what sensing Spiritual Pressure is for. Ichigo sucks at that but we're pretty good at it."

"I also had an idea." Linnette stepped closer. "I was thinking we could find the enemy's lab. If we do that, we can gather a lot of information. Maybe even destroy it to prevent this from happening again."

"There's a thought. But do you have any idea where it would be?"

"No," she said. "But Ichigo does. If he's still himself, we could ask him."

"Any other ideas?" asked Rjuro.

Linnette told them the ideas she had come up with. She wasn't the best at devising plan, but some of her ideas were pretty good. Having three Captains around helped formulate better plans and come up with new ideas.

This could work after all.

* * *

Restless, Veneno paid the lab a visit and asked about how the cure for Ichigo was progressing. Mayuri had created two different concoctions which seemed promising. He was just about to send them through different trials to see if they would be effective on Ichigo. Veneno stuck around to wait for the results.

When Akon passed by, he asked if the tests were over. Akon had a disappointed look on his face.

"The tests came back negative. They won't cure Ichigo. One would only end up killing him faster."

Veneno's heart sank.

He tried to remain positive. The fact that Mayuri was in the testing phase meant that they were one step closer to finding an actual cure. He had to keep that in mind. He left the lab and wandered around the Seireitei to pass the time. Hopefully the next time he paid them a visit, a cure would have been successfully found and ready to give to Ichigo.

He passed by several buildings. One of which happened to be where Cedric was also passing time helping Soul Reapers with their heavy-lifting and delivery of tea.

Cedric entered a room where he found Renji speaking with a Captain he also knew. Byakuya and Renji seemed to be having a debate. Cedric stood to listen out of curiosity. Using the hot tea in his hands as an excuse to be there, he stood and waited for them to be finished.

"Enough, Renji. I am not her Captain. That is Ukitake's job and his responsibility."

"But she's your..." Renji didn't want to be disrespectful. He was worried about crossing a line or saying something Byakuya might misinterpret. This conversation coupled with his tone of voice was already pushing it. "I'm just worried about her."

"She is a Lieutenant now. Same as you. Do not worry needlessly." Byakuya continued to file his papers. "It was her choice to leave and her choice to return."

"But what if she doesn't? What if she's hurt or worse? What if she needs help?"

"The lock-down applies to all. You are not permitted to leave. And I am not giving you permission to do so. I am, however, giving you an order to take these files to where they belong." Baykuya handed him a stack of papers.

"Yes, sir," he sighed and took them.

Cedric watched Renji leave the room without a word.

Byakuya did not glance up or acknowledge him, continuing to file papers instead. Cedric stood as still as a statue until Byakuya finally spoke to him.

"What is it?"

Cedric held up the cup on the tray he was holding. "I brought you some tea."

"You can set it there." Byakuya gestured to the coffee table. He had no interest in it just yet.

Cedric did as he was told and set the cup down on the table in the middle of the office. It was far from his reach so Cedric got the feeling Byakuya couldn't be bothered at all and didn't want it.

"Was he talking about Rukia by chance?" he asked Byakuya.

The Captain continued to file. "Yes."

"She is your sister, correct?"

"Yes."

"She is with Ichigo right now. Outside the wall."

"I am aware of that."

Cedric kept his eyes on Byakuya, looking for a change in his expression. "You don't seem too concerned."

"Should I be? She is a Lieutenant. I'm not going to trouble myself by worrying needlessly. She can take care of herself."

"You truly believe that?"

"I do."

"So you think highly of her."

Byakuya said nothing.

"It's good that you care. It's also good that you trust in her and believe in her." Cedric paused choosing his next words carefully. "But even so, I would think that you would be a little concerned."

"Why would I do that?" Byakuya grabbed another folder off the stack of papers and sorted through it.

"With care comes concern. If you care about your sister, you would also worry about her."

"Worry doesn't help. It won't make it better."

"I understand that. But it is an emotion nonetheless. You can't always help it."

Byakuya continued to work.

Cedric remained where he was. He wasn't finished. He wanted an answer.

After a few minutes he went on. "I think Renji was trying to get a little sympathy from you. Someone he could share his feelings with who would also understand."

"There is little time for that. And giving in would only encourage the behavior."

"Aren't you worried that your Lieutenant will think you do not care?"

"I said that worry doesn't help. He can think whatever he wants." Byakuya signed a form and put it on the stack. "We can't get distracted when there is work to be done. I need Renji to understand that."

"I think he needs to understand you're understanding."

Byakuya stopped working and looked up. "What do you want me to say? If I tell him that I share in his concern, he will think there is something to worry about. He will lose focus."

"So you're being distance and aloof for his sake? You don't want him to know what you're feeling?" Cedric asked. "Or is it that you're trying to hide it from yourself?"

Byakuya frowned. "I don't appreciate your accusation."

"It was just an observation." Cedric approached the desk. "I know it is hard to sit there knowing the person you care about is out there doing who knows what and being unable to do anything about it. It's natural."

"You are talking about that girl you take care of."

"Linnette."

"Yes, her."

"Of course it's hard. There are times I can't help her and it's hard for me to accept that."

"Are you suggesting that I disobey an order and leave the Seireitei and go on a wild goose chase? We were told to remain here until a plan has been made. That is the wise thing to do. Leaving against orders would only hinder us further. I will not be a part of that."

"So she's on her own?"

"Yes, for the time being."

Cedric sighed. "Haven't you ever gone against orders for someone you love?"

Byakuya's pen froze on the paper he was about to sign.

"Do you know what it's like to care so deeply about someone you would do anything for them? And when you are helpless to do so, it's painful?"

Byakuya's pen left a spot of ink on the form. Noticing this, he set the pen down before it could cause more ink to bleed through the papers.

"That is how I feel," said Cedric. "I felt that way when Linnette was injured and I feel it now. She wants Ichigo to live. She wants him to be alright but I cannot cure him. I do not know how. Aside from that, this business with the lock-down... I understand that while we are here we must abide by your rules. However, if Linnette desires it, I must go against your ways."

Byakuya looked up at Cedric. For the first time during the conversation, their eyes met. "Why are you telling me this?"

"It is not to waste your time, if that is what you're thinking," said Cedric. "I tend to be shy and not speak as often as my brother. I was given a reputation of being a 'strong silent type'. A quiet observer. And what I observed was that you may have some understanding of how I feel. What it means to love someone you would do anything for them. Even going against orders. That someone else is more important."

For a while, Cedric could sense that there was something about Byakuya he could relate to in a small way. That on the surface he appeared to be one way but very different on the inside. One might assume he was cold and unfeeling by his actions and his words. In truth, he was actually very caring and loving. He just had his reasons for being the way that he was. Cedric didn't know what those reasons were and chose not to pry. He didn't know Byakuya's past and didn't want to bring it up if Byakuya wasn't willing to share it with him. He would leave it at that.

"It was just an observation," he said to the Captain. "I'm sure you have your reasons for doing what you do. I can understand that. I just hope that Renji is that understanding and doesn't get the wrong impression. Again, that is your business. I am not his Captain. And Rukia is not mine to protect."

Cedric started to leave but the last thing he said was something Byakuya could not ignore.

"A long time ago, I was married. To Rukia's older sister."

Cedric stopped and turned around to listen.

"She told me that she had a sister she had to abandon because she could not take care of them both. They were orphaned and in a poor District. She searched for her sister everyday. She never stopped looking. She became ill and before she passed, she told me to continue the search. If and when I found Rukia, I was not to tell her that they were related. My wife was ashamed that she had to abandon her and had no right to call herself her sister. She made me promise to look after her and welcome her into the Kuchiki family. I found Rukia the next year."

As he spoke, Byakuya's voice showed no emotion. Cedric felt like he was at a business meeting.

"Rukia looked so much like her sister that I could not bear to look at her. Rukia noticed this and I wondered if she thought it was something she did. That she was a failure and unworthy. I don't know for certain. Others noticed how distant I was towards her, but it was not her."

"But you made her think that."

"That was not my intention. She just looked too much like her sister and I..."

"You were still grieving."

Byakuya looked down. It was true. He was still heartbroken over her death. Seeing Rukia's face haunted him. It was so bizarre. In a way it was comforting, but in a larger way it was uncomfortable having a face that resembled his wife's so much stare at him and follow him wherever he went. During Rukia's first week at the Kuchiki house, Byakuya felt as if he were having breakfast with a ghost. He almost called her Hisana once and it startled him. He also couldn't look at her and not remember the promise he made. Both promises in fact.

"Rukia had broken the law once when she gave her Soul Reaper powers to Ichigo. She was sentenced to be executed. But I had a duty to uphold the law no matter what. At the same time, I had a promise to keep."

"You were conflicted."

Byakuya didn't nod but the look on his face said it all.

"I feel strongly about upholding the law. I even visited my parents' grave and told them that bringing Rukia, someone with no nobility, into the Kuchiki family would be the last time I broke the law. When she was going to be put to death, I didn't know what to do. Keep my promise to uphold the law, or my promise to protect her?"

Cedric already knew the path he had chosen. "Judging from the fact that Rukia is still alive, I'd say you kept the promise that truly mattered."

"Even though I did not look at her directly for some time, I was rather fond of her," said Byakuya. "I do care about Rukia. I knew she didn't intend to break the law for the sake of being defiant. She did it for the same reasons I did. I knew her execution was wrong, but I was bound by the law."

Cedric nodded his head. "I see. So all around you knew it was wrong and had to do something. Sounds like your decision was made easy."

"I did not uphold my promise by finding excuses."

"I'm sure you didn't. You did it because you're a good man."

Byakuya shuffled some papers around before speaking. "I don't think that's why I did what I did."

"I know," said Cedric. "You did it because your wife asked you to. Keeping the promise you made to her does make you a good honorable man."

Byakuya kept his gaze down. "Do you know why her words were more important to me than what the law said? Why I kept my promise to her? Why her final wish meant more to me than the law? Why I did what I did?" Byakuya lifted his gaze briefly to answer. "I did it because I loved her."

When Byakuya said that word, Cedric could hear a little emotion in his voice. The woman he loved mattered more to him than anything else.

Cedric gave Byakuya a soft smile. "We are not so different in that respect." Cedric opened the door and left.

* * *

Veneno polished off his fifth plate and added it to the pile on the table. He grabbed the biggest pork dumpling from the bunch and took a big bite out of it. The dumpling was about the size of a grapefruit, easily bigger than the hand holding it. Veneno put his feet up on the table and stared out the open window in front of him.

Should he try making another clone and send it out to see Ichigo against Rukia's suggestion? Keeping himself hidden, they had the element of surprise. The two Quincies who saw him die would think he was dead and not expect to see him again. He could take them by surprise, as Rukia suggested.

There was a problem with that, though. Veneno thought about the Quincy admitting that he only knew as much as he did about them, Veneno included, because he had hacked into their system and read all about it. If he had read all about Veneno, then he would already know that he could clone himself and therefore be expecting it. Having the element of surprise seemed less likely now. The Quincy might not think he was dead.

In any case, Veneno wanted to see Ichigo. He wanted to help him. Sitting here wasn't going to do anything.

Having eaten his fill and back up to full strength, Veneno saw no reason to stay put. He stood up and went out the open window. He had heard that there was a lock-down in place, but chose to ignore it. He would make for the gate anyway.

Upon arriving at the gate, a group of Soul Reapers stopped him from going any further. Security had been increased since the escape of three Vizard Captains. No one was taking any chances.

"Let me through!" Veneno demanded.

"I told you no! Now back off before-"

"Whoa, whoa!" Akon came sprinting from the other street and wedged himself between the two. "Take it easy. There's no reason to start a fight."

"This guy wants to go through the gate and I told him to move along. He won't take no for an answer."

Veneno stuck out his tongue.

"Tell him to get lost before I use force."

"Chill, ok?" said Akon. "With everything that's going on, you want to start a fight? Let's not do the enemy's work for them."

The Soul Reaper backed down.

"Soul Reapers are dropping like flies around here. Let's not forget the Captain of Squad 2 is in the sickbay as we speak. We're all under stress, so let's all just take a breath and chill out." Akon took Veneno by the arm. "Come on. Let's get out of here."

Veneno was going to pull his arm free when he sensed that Akon wasn't being serious. He was taking him away from the Soul Reapers for another reason. He had to trust him. Maybe he was showing him another way out. There was more than one gate. This was just the most direct one to where he wanted to go, and the most used.

"You can't keep doing that," Akon whispered to him. "Everyone's already pretty tense. It won't take much to set them off. And there is a lock-down in place. Why the hell are you trying to get out of here so badly?"

"Ichigo's out there," he said simply.

Akon sighed. "I know he's a really good friend to you. But be smart about this."

"I have to go," Veneno said firmly.

"And do what? What are you going to do once you've found him? Do you have a cure to bring him? Do you have the answers?"

Veneno looked down. "No..."

"Then what would be the point? When Ichigo loses it, he's on a warpath. Nothing can stop him. We don't want to hurt him but if he starts attacking us, we may not have a choice." Akon sighed. "Let's be honest. Sending people out there was a bad idea from the start. Whenever we send someone out there, they come back injured, if at all. It's risky. And they can't do anything for Ichigo anyway. The main reason people were sent out was to observe him the first time. After that, it was to make sure he stayed away from populated areas. Other than that, there's really nothing we can do. The Head Captain's choice to put a lock-down into effect might seem cruel, but he's looking out for everyone here, Including you. He's worried if you go out there, you'll get hurt just like everyone else. Not to mention how we need as much manpower as we can get when it comes to the Quincies. They're coming back here, we all know it. The more people we waste by sending them out, the less we'll have for when they attack us directly and it's coming."

Even Veneno knew that was what the enemy was doing. They send out small groups of Soul Reapers to check on Ichigo and the Quincies pick them off. They either end up dead or return badly injured. After this is done enough times to weaken them, the Quincies will move in and attack when they know there are too many weak Soul Reapers recovering from their wounds. They won't have enough power to fight back.

Veneno stayed firm. "I get that. I know the enemy is trying to weaken you guys so they can move in when too many of you are already injured. But... But I have to see Ichigo. I feel like I can do more out there than in here. And since I sent a clone out there that ended up killed, they might not be expecting me."

"Ven-"

"And there's more. I noticed that whenever Ichigo is not in a Hollow state, the head Quincy comes out and stays near until Ichigo goes Hollow again. I was looking for their hideout before. I think I was close. The lead Quincy spoke to me while I was heading away from Ichigo and further into nowhere. I think I must have been close to their hideout. Why else would he call out to me if I wasn't anywhere near him or Ichigo? I must have been close to something he didn't want me to find and that's why he stopped me. I think if I go back out there while Ichigo isn't a Hollow, the lead Quincy will be where Ichigo is and not near the hideout, so he won't be able to stop me if I get close this time."

Akon listened to what he had to say and nodded. "That is a good theory. Makes sense. But even if you do get past the leader without issue, do you even know what you're looking for?"

"I'll find the hideout somehow."

"Then what? Do you have a plan?"

Veneno held up his fist. "Smash it. I'll go there and smash up his lab to make sure he never does anything like this to anyone again. And if by some chance I happen upon a cure, I'll bring it back."

Akon knew Veneno was sensitive when it came to experimentation and couldn't forgive anyone who used it on innocent people for fun. He would show no mercy towards any person who experimented on a friend of his either. He was going to smash Yagi's lab out of anger and a sense of justice.

There was no point in stopping him. Even Akon agreed and wanted to let Veneno off his leash. He approved of Veneno tearing apart the enemy's lab and might even consider helping him if he weren't conflicted over the loss of valuable data.

"Well," Akon said with a sigh. "I can't really stop you if your heart's set on it. I'd love to help Ichigo, too. That's why I'm working around the clock in the lab. I only came up here to get some supplies and a snack. But with the lock-down in place, I don't see how you can get through. You can't go over the wall and tunneling isn't an option."

"I was thinking of knocking a few heads or something."

Akon was still thinking of other options. "Hmm... Well, why don't you just use a Garganta? You can open a gate into Hueco Mundo and open another one on the other side of the wall?"

Veneno's eyes were wide with surprise. "I can do that?" he gasped.

"Sure. I think all Hollows can use a Garganta. You never used one before?"

Veneno shook his head. "No. How do I do it?"

"How? Uh..." Akon didn't have an answer. Only theories. "I'm not sure. It's a Hollow thing so I wouldn't know how to do it myself. If you don't know what you're doing and can't coordinate how to go where you want, I don't recommend trying now of all times. Could make trouble. But I would imagine it's very similar to opening a Senk-"

Before Akon could finish, the gate behind them began to open. The injured members from Soi Fon's Squad had returned and needed help dragging themselves through the gate.

Veneno turned to Akon. This was his only chance. "I have to go."

Akon gave him a nod. "Then go and... come back alive."

Veneno nodded back and flashed toward the gate. He ran between Soul Reapers and jumped over one's head. When a Soul Reaper yelled a warning, Veneno shoved the heel of his foot in the man's face and launched himself towards the gate. "Sorry!" he called back and ran outside. The Soul Reapers couldn't go after him. Not only was it against orders to leave, they also had to take care of the injured right now.

Akon watched the gate come to a close and stood shaking his head with a smile. "It's livelier with him around." No wonder he missed him.

Veneno did not look back. He kept running. He was going to help Ichigo. He could do more out here than in there. "I will be back. I promise." Veneno picked up speed and disappeared in a cloud of dust.

* * *

Ichigo took long deep breaths. He felt like there was a weight on his chest that wouldn't go away. He could feel his heart racing. He was trying to keep calm and breathe. He also needed something to take his mind off what was happening to his body so he focused on his breathing.

He had lost feeling his his fingers so he could no longer feel Rukia's hand in his. The only way he knew she was there was by the sound of her voice calling out to him every few seconds. She was trying to keep him conscious.

"Ichigo!"

That wasn't her voice. Ichigo could have sworn that was Linnette's voice. Was he losing his mind, too?

"Ichigo!"

He couldn't move his head so he looked as far to the right as he could and saw Linnette's dark hair draw over his face like a curtain as she leaned over him. She looked very worried but happy to see him in one piece.

He could hear other voices, too.

"You doing ok?"

"Rose, of course he's not ok, you moron."

"You don't have to be so mean, Kensei. I was being courteous."

"Lay off it, you two."

Kensei, Shinji, Rojuro. They were all here.

"What are you doing here?" Ichigo asked weakly.

"It was Linnette's idea but we wanted to come here, too. We're all concerned about you."

Shinji turned to speak with Rukia. Ichigo couldn't hear everything he was telling her. Something about a lock-down and Soi Fon. It wasn't because Shinji had his head turned away from him. Ichigo's hearing was starting to fade.

"Linnette was thinking about heading to the leader's lab. Ichigo told me where he was heading but not the exact place. I doubt even he knew exactly where it was at the time. But since he got injected with that drug, his must have found the hideout and knows where it's located now. If he can tell us where it is, we can head there ourselves and get some information before wrecking the place."

"It's worth a shot," said Rukia. "But I don't know if he'll be able to tell you much. He hasn't been himself for this long before. This is the longest he's ever gone that I'm aware. He's fading fast. He won't last much longer."

"Ichigo?" Linnette started nudging him. "Ichigo?"

Everyone turned their attention to Ichigo. He was laying perfectly still, staring straight ahead. He looked frozen. Even his body had gone stiff.

All of a sudden, Ichigo's spine bent like a bow and started screaming. His hands started to turn white and claws were beginning to form. He went into convulsions and continued to scream.

Linnette reached for him but Shinji pulled her away. Ichigo had become dangerous. He started to Hollowfy.

"What do we do?" Linnette asked, panicked.

"Nothing. We just have to let him be and watch."

Kensei and Rojuro watched in horror. "This isn't Hollowfication," they were saying. "I don't know what this is, but it's not normal. This isn't what we trained him to control. What the hell did this guy do to him?" This was their first time seeing Ichigo in this state.

They backed away as Ichigo grew more unstable and started roaring.

"It's about time."

Knowing that voice, Rukia turned, her sword drawn.

Yagi was watching them. Again, no one was able to sense him until he opened his mouth. Not even Shinji.

The lead Quincy did not look pleased. He looked annoyed. "This is taking far too long," he growled. "I thought Ichigo would have made it to the Seireitei by now but with all these distractions and his strength being absurd, we'll be lucky if he makes it to the Seireitei within a week's time! He'll be dead long before he makes it that far at this rate."

Linnette clenched her fists and tried not to make a sound. Hearing how little time Ichigo had left made her want to burst into tears. She wanted to attack this man, but he was the one who nearly killed her. If it weren't for this man, Ichigo wouldn't be like this.

"I've had more than enough. Ichigo is reaching the Seireitei," said Yagi. "Even if I have to step in and make sure of that. Time is ticking."

Ichigo stood tall and turned his gaze toward the group, ignoring Yagi who was further away. Ichigo roared and fired a cero. They got away in time but Ichigo was still coming for them.

"We got him!" said Kensei.

"You handle that guy," added Rojuro.

The group split up. The two Captains went to distract Ichigo and Rukia, Shinji and Linnette stood before Yagi.

"I really thought he would have killed you by now," said Yagi. "Or at the very least, made it further than this."

"Change Ichigo back right now!" Linnette yelled.

Yagi looked her way and she flinched. "So you're here? I didn't think I would find you here without those two men." Yagi looked around. "Are they near? Where are they hiding?"

Linnette kept her mouth shut. She wasn't going to tell this man anything. Maybe she could fool him with a bluff, making him think they were nearby when they weren't. He would be expecting them to pop out at any time. This could work to their advantage.

Yagi scoffed. "It doesn't matter. They know if they even try to harm me, you will not survive. Neither will Ichigo. I alone hold the cure. Get rid of me, get rid of your chances."

"We already have a cure," Shinji lied. He wanted to see Yagi's reaction. Based on how he reacted, Shinji had a pretty good idea he could figure him out.

Yagi laughed. "No, you don't."

"Yes, we do," Shinji insisted. "Why do you think we're out here? He have to get a hold of Ichigo to give it to him. Mayuri will be here shortly to give it to him. Just you wait. Then what will you do? Inject him again?"

"I won't have to," said Yagi, "because there is no cure."

"So you admit you don't have one?" Shinji pried.

"Why must you twist my words?" said Yagi without missing a beat. "I have a cure and you do not. I know you will never be able to find one."

"And why's that?"

Yagi sighed loudly. "Enough stalling. If Ichigo will not kill you, I'll do it myself. Maybe I'll just cripple you and have him pick you off one by one as you lie there."

Rukia pulled on Linnette's arm. "Get behind me." Fighting Yagi was going to be difficult with Linnette so close. She was in danger here and Victor and Cedric were nowhere to be found. They would have to fight Yagi and protect her at the same time.

Yagi glanced over at Ichigo. He was too far away for him to be involved in their fight. Kensei and Rojuro were luring him further away and not in the direction Yagi wanted him to go.

He needed time and he needed space. What he needed was something else to keep their attention. He honestly didn't want to fight two Soul Reapers if he could help it. The odds were not in his favor if the other two decided to join and leave Ichigo for later. Or worse, lure him back over to where Yagi stood. He definitely needed a distraction.

"What I need is another Hollow..." Yagi said aloud. A smile crept onto his face. "And I know just the one."

Yagi snapped his fingers and called for an ally.

"Sharif!"

* * *

D:

Please review! ^-^


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter: 22**

"Sharif!"

Answering the call, a large figure appeared from the distance and landed in front of Yagi, shaking the earth. Whatever it was, it was massive.

It wasn't massive. It was powerful.

What landed in front of Yagi was slightly larger than the average human. It was a deformed Quincy. His head and torso were human but his arms and legs were reptilian and too large for the rest of his frame. The long arms he held off the ground made him look unbalanced. Each arm looked like it weighed as much as his entire body. What kept him balanced was the tail supporting him from behind like a third leg. The sleeves of his clothing were missing, no doubt too small to accommodate those large limbs. The rest of his body was covered with Quincy clothing, along with the tools on his belt.

"Meet Sharif. New and improved," announced Yagi.

"What do you mean 'new and improved'?" asked Rukia.

Upon closer look, she realized she had seen this man before. He was the sniper fighting Ichigo at the Seireitei. But he didn't look like this before. He looked mutated.

"I had to test Ichigo's capabilities and killer instinct, so I sent Sharif into his cage to test it. Ichigo mangled him good. We all thought he was dead until recently. When Zalya went in to take care of the body, he discovered that Sharif was still breathing. His body was ruined but he was still alive." Yagi gestured proudly to his creation. "So out of the goodness of my heart, I gave him a second chance. Not only did I heal him, I also made him stronger."

Sharif held his oversized arms off the ground and flexed. He was showing off the gifts his leader had given him.

"I rebuilt his body using Hollow parts. He can move and now he is even stronger. He has the powers of a Quincy and Hollow." Yagi smiled. "Not only that, but through the process, I managed to get rid of that annoying other personality he has."

"A what?" Shinji asked.

"Sharif has a disorder that gives him a second personality. Very annoying. This split personality or duel personality or whatever you want to call it has caused me nothing but problems. So I got rid of it." Yagi gestured to Sharif with his hand. "This is Sharif reborn. He has always been one of my strongest men but that personality got in the way. His skills were off the charts then. Now he's even stronger and no alternate personality to get in the way. It's perfect."

Sharif turned his head, smiling at Yagi. "I'm very thankful to you, leader. With this, I am better than ever. I knew that second half got on your nerves but there was nothing I could do about it. Thanks to this, I'll always be myself and no other me will ever get in the way. Not in the way of living my life, or in the way of your orders. Now I'm officially completely competent."

Shinji scoffed. "It's not as perfect as you think," he said.

"And why's that?"

Shinji pointed to Linnette. "You did your research, right? You know about Linnette's ability to control Hollows. If you gave Sharif Hollow powers and rebuilt his body with Hollow parts, then she can control him. You're not as smart as you think. It was a stupid move. You just made a huge mistake, Yagi. You didn't think this through."

Yagi chuckled. "I'm afraid I did. Of course I considered that. I haven't forgotten about that girl at all and I did take precautions. Do you really think I'm that much of a fool?"

Shinji shouldn't have been surprised at his answer. From the beginning, Yagi had taken a number of things into account to make sure he wasn't at a disadvantage. From the first attack on the Seireitei, to poisoning Ichigo, his subordinates' powers and everything else, Yagi had thought of everything to ensure he wasn't on the losing side. No matter the path they chose, something was going to give. Something would be lost. Yagi made sure of that. It was unlikely to think he would mess up on something so incredibly obvious as this. Someone like Yagi wouldn't make an obvious mistake like that.

He must have seen this and made adjustments accordingly. Linnette's powers would not be a problem.

"I've taken her powers into account and I've done my research. I noticed that her powers effect Hollows mentally. Not physically. She is not a puppeteer over their bodies while they are left struggling to resist. They willingly listen to her. Their actions are their own. Which means her voice works on their minds and not their bodies. Knowing this, I was very careful with Sharif's recovery. I made sure he would have Hollow powers but not a Hollow's mind. His mutation is physical. He still has his own mind. It's only his body that's changed. Therefore, her voice will not work on him. He is free of her control. There is no danger."

Shinji cursed under his breath. Yagi had thought this through, just like with everything he did.

Linnette's voice could not effect Sharif. If he did not have a Hollow's mind, he would not bend to her will.

"And now..." Yagi snapped his fingers. "Go test your new body against their strength."

"Yes, sir!" Sharif bent his knees and sprang into the air. His body eclipsed the sun. His frame grew bigger as he descended. Shinji jumped aside and Rukia pulled Linnette out of the way. Sharif's body hit the ground with such force, it caused the earth to quake and split.

Linnette screamed and hid her face behind her arms as rocks pelted them from where Sharif had landed.

Sharif stood in the crater he created. He wasn't injured. He didn't even feel the impact from the landing. He didn't use any energy at all. He was pumped up and ready for more.

"This body is fantastic, leader!" Sharif called from the hole. "It's so strong and easy to maneuver. It doesn't take much to do anything. I could keep this up all day!"

Yagi smiled with pride.

"The hell with this." Shinji took out his Zanpakuto. Before he could release it, Sharif clawed it out of his hand. "Ahh!" Shinji's arms were sliced open. Rather than worry about his own injury, he was hoping that the blood-user wasn't nearby.

Sharif smiled and threw his arm into Shinji's torso, sending him flying. It truly was effortless. No more energy than brushing a strand of hair aside. This body was so strong. Despite his limbs being so large and heavy, the strength they possessed made it hard to notice. He barely felt a difference between these limbs and the ones from his old body.

"Dance!"

Sharif turned around. Rukia was using her sword. He decided to try another ability this body possessed. He opened his mouth and fired a cero at Rukia. She dove out of the way just in time but there was a large trench stretching into the distance where his cero had fired.

He felt so strong. Nothing could beat him.

Shinji searched for his dropped sword. Sharif had tossed it when he attacked. When he found it, Shinji could not pick it up. Each time he tried, his arms would throb. The gashes in his forearms were deep. He had to think of something else.

Sharif was having a blast. This new body made everything so easy. Even firing off a cero came so naturally to him. His body knew what to do. It responded to his desires. It understood his wants. Every once in a while, he would look over at Yagi to see his reaction. He looked pleased and that gave Sharif encouragement.

Meanwhile, Kensei and Rojuro were not doing so well against Ichigo. To refrain from injuring him, they had to dodge everything he threw at them. Ichigo had become very unsteady and his attacks were haphazard. Sometimes he fired straight into the air for no apparent reason.

"Hold on!" Kensei warned Rojuro.

Ichigo was writhing on his feet, roaring. His mask was starting to break. Ichigo's face peered through the gaps in his mask.

Taking a chance, Kensei came closer. "Ichigo, can you hear me?" He stood on Ichigo's shoulder and leaned down. He could feel Ichigo's body trembling.

"Kensei..!" Ichigo said through the cracks in his mask. "Ken... sei... Hide... out..."

Kensei moved closer. Ichigo was trying to tell him something about the Quincy hideout. "Yes? Yes?"

Ichigo struggled to choke out any information he could. A new mask was beginning to form. Kensei tried to keep the mask form forming again by pulling it apart with his hands. It wasn't working. He couldn't stop the mask for reforming.

"Don't... touch... door... frame..." were the last words Ichigo said before the mask reformed and he slashed at Kensei.

Kensei jumped back and landed beside Rojuro. "What did he tell you?" asked Rojuro.

"Something I have to take care of. Can you handle Ichigo on your own?"

"I might be able to."

"Thanks, Rose."

"Heads up!"

Kensei turned right into Ichigo's attack. Ichigo's arm sent Kensei into the air and over Sharif's head. Yagi turned from Sharif to watch Kensei landed somewhere in the distance. He smiled. After a hit like that, he expected Kensei to be crippled or worse. Believing him to be of no threat at this point, turned back to watch Sharif tear into the others.

Unbeknownst to Yagi, Kensei was able to bounce back after a hit like that. Making sure no one could sense him or see him, he ran away from the fighting. Ichigo had given him directions to the hide-out. He so desperately wanted someone to find it that he fought to change back just for a moment to tell them. It wasn't enough. He wasn't able to change back completely but he was trying so hard to find a way to get the message out to them. Kensei wanted to make sure his struggles were not in vain. He heard his words. He was going to that hide-out.

* * *

Veneno stopped to gauge how far he had gone. He was in the middle of nowhere. There were rocks everywhere but no one around for miles. He remembered being in this area when Yagi confronted him so their hideout must be close.

Sensing someone, Veneno turned, hoping it wasn't Yagi or another Quincy. It was a Soul Reaper. A Captain, in fact. He looked like a man on a mission. He looked around and took a quick right. Veneno lost sight of him among the tall rocks. Veneno decided to follow him, thinking this Soul Reaper had some valuable information. He seemed to know where he was going.

Kensei tried to remember Ichigo's fragmented instructions. Most of what he said was very confusing and the rest weren't complete sentences. From what he understood, he was supposed to be looking for a large bolder with a small opening. That was the entrance to their hideout. A lot of these stones were very large but none of them were bolders.

At last, he spotted one. He moved closer and stuck his head inside the narrow opening. There was a staircase leading straight down to what looked like a basement. This must have been it. Kensei pulled his head out and took a few steps back. He put his hand on his sword, thinking. He could slash his way in, taking out the bolder to make the opening wider and easier to fit through. That would be careless. If there was anyone inside, they would know he was here. He didn't want to alert anyone so it was best to go in quietly. He would just have to squeeze inside.

Veneno observed him from a rock. Kensei was able to stick his head inside that opening. Was that the entrance?

Sensing him, Kensei turned around. He couldn't identify his Spiritual Pressure which was very odd. The man on that rock was wearing white but he didn't look like a Quincy. When Veneno tilted his head, Kensei saw his mask and knew he was an Arrancar.

Kensei drew his sword and attacked.

Unlike the other Soul Reapers, Kensei wasn't around when they were attacked with Veneno's Hollow virus. Nor was he around when they had a truce and became allies. Kensei had no idea they were on the same side. He thought Veneno, like most other Arrancars, was a threat.

Veneno jumped back to avoid his swing. Kensei's blade was pretty short compared to other Zanpakuto. Veneno didn't draw his weapon. Since this Captain was obviously new, he figured this man had no idea who he was.

"Hang on, hang on!"

Kensei swung again and this time, Veneno caught his hand.

"Dude!" he yelled in his face. "I'm on your side. I'm just trying to find the Quincy hideout to help Ichigo."

Kensei relaxed. "You know Ichigo?"

"We're friends. He helped me. Now I'm helping him."

Kensei lowered his weapon and sheathed it. "Really?"

"For real."

Kensei looked him over. "Well... I guess stranger things have happened." He wasn't sure he could trust this Arrancar but he didn't have time to ponder it or ask this man a million questions. He had a mission to see through. "Alright. Well, if you mean that, I found it."

"Through that opening?" Veneno pointed.

"Yeah. We don't know if there's anyone in there so we have to be quiet. We don't want anyone spotting us and attacking. Element of surprise with this one."

"Got it."

Obviously Veneno was coming along. Kensei didn't object. They entered the opening together and went down the stairs quietly and slowly. Kensei was warned there might be traps. When they reached the bottom, he noticed the door frame and remembered what Ichigo had warned him.

"Don't touch the door frame," he whispered to Veneno.

Veneno nodded.

Kensei looked at the floor. A cluster of small stones were gathered in a pile and pushed against the wall. He wandered what that could have been. Veneno smelled something fowl on the wood of the door frame. It looked like it had been cleaned up but the odor still lingered along with the smell of cleaner. Someone had cleaned up this door frame recently.

They entered a large room with a tall ceiling. Further away was a door. They approached cautiously and turned the knob. The door led to a furnished living area complete with fireplace. It was a lot cozier than Kensei pictured. These Quincies liked to live and hide in style. They weren't roughing it at all. A couch, coffee table, bookcase, armchairs and even a dining area with a long wooden table. If it weren't for the stone walls, Kensei would have never believed they were underground.

Veneno observed everything with curious eyes. Even the books on the shelves caught his interest. He tried to make out the titles but most of the books didn't have spine labels. Beyond the bookcase, he spotted another door. That must have led to their laboratory.

That's when he spotted something above the fireplace. He waved Kensei over and they both stared.

Mounted on the wall was Ichigo's Zanpakuto. It was hung on the wall like a trophy.

It wouldn't be allowed to stay there. Kensei stepped closer to take it down. He stood on his toes to reach and removed it from the supports in the wall with both hands.

As he held Ichigo's sword, he felt his stomach twist. Was this how the Quincies thought of Ichigo? A prize to be hunted down and killed like a deer in the woods? They thought they had won and decided to mount Ichigo's sword on the wall as a trophy. It was infuriating. Insulting! Kensei felt sick. Was there no end to their dishonorable actions? Everything about them was awful and shameless. It wasn't enough that they had to do these horrible things but they had to gloat about it as well?

Even worse, mounting Ichigo's sword was like saying he was already dead.

Kensei might not have been as close to Ichigo as he was with other people but he still considered him a friend and hated to see him treated this way. Ichigo deserved more respect. The way these Quincies were treating him, what they thought of him...

Veneno touched Kensei's shoulder. Without saying a word, he told Kensei that Ichigo was going to be alright. That they would save him. The first step was taking back his sword and returning it to him. They weren't expecting to find it here but they were glad they did. Now it was time to finish what they came here to do. They had to find that lab.

"Who are you?"

Veneno and Kensei turned.

A Quincy was standing behind them.

Veneno looked this man over. This wasn't the blood-user and it wasn't Yagi. Kensei knew this wasn't Yagi either. He was still watching the battle above ground, along with another Quincy he called Sharif. He didn't hold a mirror so it couldn't have been the other one Kensei didn't know the name of.

The Quincy glared at them. "I asked you a question."

"It's none of your business unless you tell us your name first," said Veneno.

He glared. "You broke into our home and you demand my name?" His fist began to glow. "Just so you know the name of the man who killed you, it's Mordere!"

He fired a folly of arrows at them. Kensei and Veneno dodged and rushed at Mordere from opposite sides. Veneno attacked from the right and Kensei the left. Mordere jumped straight up to avoid them both and the two nearly collided.

"I see. A Soul Reaper and an Arrancar. What a strange combination."

Veneno and Kensei attacked again. Still holding Ichigo's sword with one hand, Kensei drew his own weapon and tried to stab Mordere. The Quincy fired another folly at Kensei, forcing him to duck behind the couch for cover.

Thinking Mordere could only aim in one place at a time, Veneno attempted to attack him from behind. Either he wouldn't see it coming, or he would have to leave Kensei alone to attack him, giving Kensei a chance to escape.

Veneno tried to put his plan into action but was surprised to learn that Mordere could aim in two places at once. While firing at Kensei with one hand, he turned the other on Veneno and fired.

"You can fire arrows in both directions?"

"Anywhere I want," Mordere said smugly. "I learned how to do this a while ago and I've perfected it. My hands are like crossbows. I can take on two people at once with no problem. You don't stand a chance."

Veneno wasn't afraid of his arrows. Losing was not an option. Not with Ichigo's life hanging in the balance. They had to defeat this Quincy and return Ichigo's sword. They had to find a cure and fix the problem. Too much was riding on this.

Veneno charged forward with his sword drawn. As the Quincy took aim, Veneno changed directions. The Quincy followed Veneno with his arm, refusing to let him out of his sight. He open fired, chasing Veneno around the room. Veneno ducked behind the bookcase and Mordere continued to fire. His other arm was still firing on Kensei so neither were able to leave their hiding spots. Mordere shot out the shelves of the bookcase, weakening it. It didn't take much for it to fall. Veneno wedged his arm between the wood and the wall and gave the bookcase a shove. Like a falling tree, it keeled over, aimed at Mordere.

Mordere jumped aside to avoid it. Veneno jumped over the fallen bookcase and swung his weapon. Mordere fired and Veneno blocked with his blade. He kicked Mordere in the chest and swung at him as he went down. Mordere braced himself with both arms and pushed himself back up. He drew a weapon from his belt which looked a lot like a sword only the blade was glowing just like the arrows he fired. He swung at Veneno who swung back. Veneno blocked the horizontal swing with the hilt of his sword and pushed Mordere's arm back. He spun and stepped at the same time. Using the momentum, he swung his forearm into Veneno's flank, sending him sailing sideways into the wall.

No longer on the run from Mordere's arrows, Kensei took over, swinging his short blade at the Quincy's neck. He blocked the sword and pushed the Captain back. They were both muscular and rather large. Veneno's skinny frame could not compare so he was easily sent flying with one hit of Mordere's arm. Kensei wasn't so easily thrown, given that they were roughly the same size. When Mordere tried the same method with him, Kensei only slid a few inches and came back swinging. It would take a lot more than a shove to send him flying. He stood his ground and used his weight against his opponent.

Since Kensei and Mordere were so close together, Veneno couldn't unleash an attack without risking Kensei's life. He didn't want to miss and hit him instead. He stood off to the side to offer backup.

Mordere and Kensei locked hands, each trying to break the other's arm and to prevent another blow from landing. Kensei fired a Kido at close range, nailing Mordere in the stomach. His vest was burnt but he was still able to continue the fight. Still holding Kensei's hand in his, he tried to fire an arrow. Kensei saw this and released his hand. Freed, Modere kneed Kensei in the gut and fired an arrow at his head as he bent over.

Seeing his chance, Veneno kicked Mordere's elbow upward, his arrow launching into the ceiling. Kensei grabbed Mordere's wrist and pulled him down. Bringing his other arm back, he punched Mordere in the face. As he stumbled back, Kensei pulled him back down for another punch. Mordere fired an arrow past his ear and into the wall, severing a rope in its path. A decorative tapestry loosened from the wall and fell on top of them. Kensei cut himself out but Mordere was gone.

"There!" Veneno pointed.

Mordere was on top of the coffee table, getting ready to fire at them again. They dodged his arrows and came at him from different sides. Kensei went low and Veneno went high. Someone was bound to land a hit. If Mordere dodged one, he would be hit by the other.

Mordere saw what they were planning and jumped, bending his body back. Kensei's blade sailed under Mordere's legs and Veneno's sword passed over Modere's neck. He managed to dodge them both. On his decent, Mordere stomped on Kensei's wrist and elbowed Veneno in the jaw.

"Soul Reapers and Arrancars are so foolish. Do you really think you can beat a Quincy? You are both stupid and weak!"

Kensei grabbed Modere with his other hand to drag him off the coffee table. Mordere kicked him in the face when he tried. Veneno slashed at Mordere with his sword but the Quincy was already expecting that. He knocked the sword out of his hand where its blade sank into an armchair.

"You are powerless without your sword, just as a Soul Reaper."

That may have been correct if Veneno hadn't been training among Soul Reapers from Squad 11. When everything else failed, they always had their fists. They had honor and respect, but in an unfair fight, they were trained to do whatever it took to win. Anything goes. Veneno was already willing to do whatever it took to win. Knowing some pretty tough Soul Reapers only encouraged him.

He took a running start at Mordere and jumped. He latched onto Mordere's body and started punching him. Veneno wrapped his legs around Mordere's waist to keep himself steady and punched him with both fists. Like this, there was no getting away. He was so close, he couldn't miss and Mordere was being hit with powerful punches. He shoved Veneno back, but with his legs still wrapped around Mordere, he wasn't going anywhere. He pulled himself back up and continued punching.

"Get the hell off me!" Mordere took aim at Veneno's head. "Filthy vermin!"

Veneno ducked but soon realized he had to get away from Mordere. He was aiming for his stomach next. In this position, he couldn't miss. Veneno got away as fast as he could. Mordere wiped the blood from his lips and stepped off the coffee table, heading right for Veneno.

Veneno pulled his sword free and kicked the armchair into Mordere's legs. He kept the chair from moving by placing his foot on the backrest and pressed it into Mordere's knees. Mordere couldn't get any closer to Veneno with this chair in the way. He tried attacking over it, but it was too much of a hassle. He open fired on the chair, his arrows shredding it to pieces. He stomped over what was left and came at Veneno, one fist poised with an arrow, the other clutching the sword-like weapon.

Taking a step back, Veneno tried to fight him off but once again, the sword was pried from his hands and went sailing overhead.

"Here!" Kensei threw Ichigo's sword to him. Veneno caught it and slashed at Mordere. He managed to land a hit. Blood sprayed from Mordere's chest. Ichigo's longer sword gave Veneno a longer reach.

Veneno felt strange holding his sword. It wasn't the same as the one he owned. He preferred his own sword. It just didn't feel right using Ichigo's. At the same time, as strange as it felt, it was also comforting. It was almost as if Ichigo were still fighting alongside him.

"I'm going to mangle you good!" Mordere came at him swinging. Veneno blocked every attack but he was being boxed into a corner. Each blow sent him back a step and he was getting closer to the wall. "Take this!"

"The hell you will!" Kensei jumped on Mordere from behind.

At the same time Mordere slashed at Veneno with a powerful swing. The sword as knocked back into Veneno's chest. Not even a second later, Mordere was thrown into him thanks to Kensei who had plowed into him from behind. The pileup was too much for the door to handle and all three fell into the next room.

Veneno landed on his back, Mordere on top of him and Kensei on top of both of them. Kensei stood up and before Mordere could pull himself up, Veneno used his legs to throw him over his head. Veneno rolled to his feet and stood, preparing another attack.

He smelled chemicals. He looked around and realized they were in a laboratory. They were standing on a metal platform suspended over the lab itself. Below them were tables and machines and containers of all sizes. This is what they were looking for. At the end of the platform was a metal staircase. They had to get to it quickly.

Kensei grabbed Veneno's arm and pulled him out of the way of another arrow. The arrow split one of the cables holding up the platform which caused the metal to shake. There were many other cables so losing one wouldn't make that much of a difference. The platform was in no danger of falling unless a few more were cut.

"You are gonna die here!" said Mordere.

"Like hell." Kensei took up his Zanpakuto and got ready. Veneno was still clutching Ichigo's sword with both hands like a valuable treasure.

Taking his sword-like weapon, Mordere cut another cable. The platform began to creak and wobble. He cut another and the metal under Kensei and Veneno dropped. Kensei was able to grab onto the metal still holding up Mordere but with Veneno still holding Ichigo's sword, he wasn't able to grab onto anything. Kensei made a grab for him with his other hand. As soon as he tried, Mordere stomped on his fingers. The two fell below.

Kensei crashed into some sort of metal cabinet on his way down, knocking him sideways so his fall wasn't straight down. Veneno followed him, tangled together. Veneno lost his grip on Ichigo's sword as he collided with Kensei's chest. Their fall came to an abrupt and painful stop. Veneno tried to move away from Kensei but something blocked his path. He put his hand out and touched glass.

"What the hell?" Kensei became aware of it, too. He put his hand out and touched the glass.

Veneno looked around. The glass was all around him. It was a large tube, like an incubation tank. It looked exactly like a large test tube. It was tall and narrow. Kensei and Veneno were pressed together inside the tube with barely two inches between them.

To Kensei this was a minor pain and easy to get out of. He was thinking about breaking the glass. As thick as it was, he was confident he could do it with one punch. The problem was breaking the glass without hitting Veneno. "If you duck down, I can throw a punch at this glass and..."

Veneno was hyperventilating.

"You ok?"

Veneno was having a panic-attack. Already claustrophobia was kicking in, but that was just the beginning. He put his hands out to keep the glass from closing in on him, but touching it brought back the horrific memories of his tortured past. Flashes of needles appeared before his eyes and he felt pain. He wasn't physically hurt but he was reliving those painful memories so he believed he was being stabbed. His body was heating up. He felt sick. He couldn't breathe.

"Let me out..!" he gasped. He couldn't stand being in this tube for another second. "Let me out!"

Kensei had no idea why Veneno was so panicked but he was very concerned. Veneno was trembling and his breathing was erratic. "Hey, hey... It's ok... Calm down. It's easy to get out. Just let me-"

"Let me out!" Veneno needed to get out now. He started pounding the glass with his fists. "Let me out of here! Let me out! Let me out!"

Every time he brought his arms back to throw another punch, he would end up hitting Kensei. "Ow! Take it easy! We're gonna be fine. Just-"

"Let me out! Let me out! Let me out!" he kept screaming. There was nothing rational about his actions. He just needed to get out of there now. "Let me out! Let me out!"

Kensei looked overhead and saw the opening they had fallen through. "If you stop thrashing, we can just jump-"

"Out! Out! I want out! Let me out!" Backing into Kensei, Veneno threw himself forward and the glass started to crack. He took aim at the web-like pattern and threw himself into the glass again. It shattered and both were free.

Kensei covered his head with his arms as glass rained down around him. He watched in confusion as Veneno half staggered, half ran to the other side of the room and leaned against a metal table. The metal table was harmless, but as soon as he touched it, Veneno pulled away as if he had been burned. He stumbled and fell to the ground and took irregular breaths, still shaking. After a minute, Veneno started to stand but he was still shaking. Kensei had no idea what sort of episode Veneno was having but it was very bizarre.

He didn't know whether to shake him or beat him. Kensei offered comfort in his own way and most people found it to be the exact opposite. He wasn't the type to give someone a hug. He approached Veneno and put a hand on his shoulder. "Hey."

Veneno bolted upright and spun around.

Kensei pulled back. Veneno looked sick. His face was pale and had dark blue lips and rings under his eyes. He was sweating and still shaking. He took fast, deep breaths. Kensei wanted to keep his distance just in case Veneno did vomit, which looked like a possibility.

Veneno wiped the sweat from his face and tried to collect himself. "I- I'm fine. It's nothing." He cleared his throat. "I, uh... I just don't do well with being inside glass like that..."

"I can tell."

Veneno wasn't ashamed of his reaction being watched by someone who didn't know. It was uncomfortable, but being behind that glass was a far worse feeling. Being inside that glass tube made him feel like he was being experimented on all over again.

Veneno looked down at the sword he dropped and thought of its owner.

He didn't want Ichigo to suffer as he did. As he was. He was still dealing with what happened. It had an effect on him. An effect he didn't want Ichigo to suffer himself. That was no way to live. Where even being behind glass in a narrow space could cause a panic-attack and make him relive every painful, horror-filled moment of his experimentation. Veneno didn't want that for Ichigo. He didn't want him to suffer.

Veneno shook it from his mind. "Where's that Quincy guy?"

"He has to be above us." Kensei wanted to take Mordere on alone. He would be expecting both of them to be attacking, so taking him on one-on-one seemed like a better way to go. Kensei believed having Veneno out of sight would have the Quincy looking over his shoulder during their fight and a distracted opponent was easy to take on. Also having Veneno elsewhere seemed like a good idea. He could help look for anything useful while Kensei took on the enemy. "You stay below and I'll attack from above."

"You want him on even ground, huh?"

"I also want you to look around for anything useful. There has to be something in this lab that can help Ichigo. We also need to destroy it so the enemy takes some damage. Without a lab, what can they do?"

Veneno nodded. "You go high, I go low."

They went their separate ways. Kensei jumped back onto the metal platform to take on Mordere. He was already waiting for him with a few arrows. Kensei grabbed one of the support cables and swung his body sideways, avoiding the arrows and kicking Mordere in the process.

Mordere stumbled back from the blow but was unshaken. He fired several arrows at Kensei from both fists, one aimed slightly higher in case Kensei tried to dodge. Kensei avoided all but one. An arrow found its way into his Captain's jacket and pinned him to the stone wall. He ripped his jacket free and came at the Quincy with punches.

It became a fist-fight. A boxing match between Soul Reaper and Quincy ensued. Both took damage but they were too evenly matched to declare a winner. Mordere fired an arrow from his fist which grazed Kensei's right ear. Kensei flashed away. Out of his sight, Mordere had no target. He looked around for his opponent.

Kensei came flying down from the ceiling, blade first, above Mordere's head. Thinking Kensei couldn't avoid an attack while falling, Mordere fired more arrows. Kensei disappeared and reappeared behind Mordere, cutting into his vest with his Zanpakuto. Mordere spun and drove his elbow into Kensei's jaw, sending him into the wall. As soon as he hit the stone, Kensei felt Mordere's hands on his back, shoving him into the wall again. He wasn't going to let him get up. Kensei pushed away from the wall with both arms but Mordere kept forcing him back into it. If only he could weaken Mordere's hold. He kicked out at Mordere and finally his foot hit his knee. The blow forced his leg back, weakening his stance and gave Kensei the opportunity to turn around and shove Mordere over the railing.

Mordere fell but never hit the ground. He grabbed onto the platform and swung himself back up. Kensei grabbed Mordere's skull with his hand and slammed him into the wall as soon as he landed beside him. Mordere twisted out of his grip and punched the Captain under the arm. Pain shot through Kensei's chest and shoulder. His arm weakened, Mordere was able to land another blow before Kensei got enough strength back to return the punch. As he threw a punch at his head, Mordere grabbed Kensei's arm and twisted it back, trying to break it. Kensei moved with Mordere and pushed into his body. Then he brought his leg up and kicked Mordere in the rib with his knee.

Then Kensei felt a sharp pain in his forearm. Mordere had taken his Zanpakuto from his weakened grip and stabbed him with the blade. He shoved Kensei away and moved back to gain some ground. Kensei pulled the blade from his arm and returned it to his hand. Being stabbed with his own weapon gave Kensei more of a reason to beat this Quincy into the ground. He was going to have Mordere feel just how sharp his Zanpakuto could be.

Mordere charged and threw a punch at Kensei. Kensei lifted his left arm to block. He grabbed Mordere's fist with his left and held him there while he readied his blade to strike. He was going to stab Mordere in the face or slice his hand off. He hadn't decided yet. Mordere twisted Kensei's arm around and held it above his head faster than Kensei could react. He ended up stabbing himself since Mordere had used Kensei's arm as a shield.

"You're going to regret that," Kensei hissed and kicked Mordere in the stomach.

Neither of them were going to let go. Mordere still hand a hold of Kensei's arm and Kensei still hand a hold of Mordere's fist. Both shoved and kicked, trying to force the other to yield. They were locked together, turning in a circle and stepping forward and back. It looked more like they were dancing than fighting.

Kensei felt the railing in his lower back and knew he was near the edge of the platform again. He spun his body around and threw Mordere over the railing. He grabbed onto the support wire to keep himself from falling and kicked Kensei in the jaw. He landed back on the platform and took another fighting stance. Kensei held up both fists, ready to box. This Quincy was just as strong as he was. He was gong to be a problem.

Down below, the Arrancar was still running around the laboratory with Ichigo's sword in hand. It seemed the only way out was back the way they came. That broken door was their only escape route.

This place made Veneno sick. The smell of chemicals was overwhelming. So many jars and tubes and beakers and tools that reflected and distorted his image. So many sharp objects and contraptions he had never seen before and knew nothing about. There were even body parts floating in jars on shelves and small animals frozen in silicone and left on display, their bodies contorted in pain like something out of a horror film. All the tables and machines were like a maze. Everything about this place made him feel so small and trapped.

Veneno stopped to take it all in. This laboratory brought back bad memories. It was very different from Mayuri's in terms of emotions. His gave Veneno conflicting feelings. It was a place of pain and a place of renewal. He suffered in that lab but he also made friends. He both hated and liked it there. This lab was very different. It had the same supplies but the feelings he had about this lab was very different from Mayuri's in that he only had negative emotions about this place. He felt nothing but anger, resentment, fear and sorrow. This lab wasn't a place for second chances or friends. It was a place of pain and destruction.

This was the lab that had hurt Ichigo. The lab that created evil serums that were injected into unwilling creatures. A place that was killing Ichigo. Taking away friends. Causing pain. Nothing good came from this lab. Anything good that went in, came out evil. It was used for evil. The owner and the lab itself were both corrupted and evil. Pure and simple.

Veneno clenched his fists. This place made him sick. It wasn't the episode he suffered that made him associate this place with evil. It was evil. That was what it was used for. He couldn't let that continue.

His grip tightened on Ichigo's sword. Veneno could feel Ichigo's presence even without him being there. Clutching his sword was like having him here at his side.

Ichigo was suffering because of this place. This is where the serum was created. This place had caused so much suffering to so many. Not just Ichigo, but many innocent lives.

Never again. That would not be allowed to continue. It was going to end. Right now.

Veneno spun around and kicked a glass tube the same size as the one that he was trapped in with Kensei. Powered up by his fury, the kick caused the glass to shatter with one hit. Veneno spun again and kicked over a table. The tools and papers were sent flying and scattered on the floor.

It wasn't enough. There was so much left to destroy. He had to eliminate it all. He had to make sure none of it would be used to hurt Ichigo ever again. No one else would have to suffer.

He flipped over another table with his hands and sent more tools flying. He ran down the aisle and used Ichigo's sword to extend his reach, cutting stacks of paper and beakers. Veneno took a running start and kicked a table, splitting it in half. He grabbed bottles off the shelves and smashed them all. He smashed containers, freeing the creatures trapped inside.

All this destruction felt good. He was unleashing all his rage against this laboratory equipment. Everything that caused pain. These tools, these chemicals, these charts and figures, everything. These were the cause of his suffering. Left alone they were harmless, but in the hands of a madman, they were painful. They were tools of evil. Instruments of pain. It made him suffer. It made Ichigo suffer. It all had to go. Every tools, every paper, every beaker, every screen, every ounce of data had to be destroyed.

"Never again..!"

He threw another glass jar at the wall.

"Never again..!"

He broke another table.

"Will you hurt me!"

If these tools weren't used on him directly, they were used to attack his heart. Hurting Ichigo with these tools was still causing him pain. He wasn't going to stand for it. He wasn't going to watch Ichigo suffer and die because of these wicked things. These awful experiments were still hurting him, even if he wasn't the one getting the needles. They were causing someone he cared about to die a slow and painful death. That was very painful. It caused him suffering.

If Ichigo died, what would he do? If he died because of these experiments, what would he do?

Screaming, he took Ichigo's sword and slashed more papers. Using it like a bat, he shattered glass jars and cups and beakers and tubes. In a way, it was like having Ichigo help him destroy the lab. Together, they were getting rid of everything that made them suffer. Everything that caused them pain.

There was still so much left to get rid of. So many large cabinets filled with who-knows-what and technology filled with so much data. Destroying a few beakers meant nothing compared to that. This broken glass around his feet would only set them back a little. As long as they had the data, they could do it all again.

"It's all going," Veneno seethed. "Not a trace left. It's all going. Every bit. There will be nothing left to hurt us anymore. Nothing they can use to hurt others. Nothing!"

Veneno fired a cero into one of the machines. It exploded in a burst of flame and smoke. Veneno turned to a screen and fired again.

The room began to shake. Kensei and Mordere stopped their fight to look at the ceiling. Rocks were being shaken loose. They smelled smoke and looked in the far corner of the lab. Veneno was open firing on all the machines and tables. Every explosion caused the ceiling to shift a little further and more rocks started to come loose and fall.

"That idiot!" Kensei snapped. This was the reason Veneno hadn't used a cero before while fighting Mordere. Using a cero underground was extremely dangerous. It could cause the entire ceiling to collapse and cave in on them.

Veneno kept it up. He destroyed bottles filled with different color liquids which ignited as soon as he fired. A lot of the chemicals in this lab were very flammable. Many others were highly unstable. Him firing carelessly around the lab was bound to get someone killed.

"That enough!" Kensei shouted down to him. "Stop it!"

Veneno ignored him and kept shooting cero after cero.

"I said stop!"

"Not until it's all gone!" Veneno shouted without turning his head. He fired again and there was another powerful explosion.

The ceiling was starting to collapse. Large fragments of stone fell from above and crushed the broken tables Veneno had already taken his rage out on. The cables supporting the metal platform lost their hold and fell away from the ceiling. The platform started to rock and dip sideways. Kensei grabbed onto the handrail to support himself. The floor under him was starting to fall away as the nails were shaken loose and the cables were ripped out.

The floor under Mordere fell out from under him and he grabbed the handrail to keep from falling with it. The platform swayed. Mordere looked up in horror to see them swinging away from the wall. Below them was a terrible fire, quickly spreading around the laboratory.

This was becoming too dangerous. If he fell, he would be roasted alive. Or the Arrancar would blast him away with a cero. He also had to worry about the Soul Reaper balancing on the same platform. The ceiling was also in the process of caving in on them. These were not good odds. If he hesitated, he might not make it out. Staying here any longer would result in his death.

Mordere looked around at all the destruction. This lab was lost. Nothing would remain.

It was a good thing Yagi had already used the serum on Ichigo, so they really didn't need this lab anymore. Any future projects could be done with a new lab. The pressing matter was already taken care of. Besides, Yagi was brilliant. He might have already planned for something like this. They probably didn't need a lab anymore.

As the platform swung, Mordere jumped to the wall and grabbed onto a stone jetting out. He then jumped to the open door and made his escape.

Kensei watched him do this and cursed under his breath. Mordere left them for dead. Kensei looked at the collapsing ceiling. They were deep underground. Who knew how many tons of earth was going to pile on top of them. Even a Soul Reaper could be crushed to death. He had to get out of here.

Veneno wasn't going to stop. He was on a rampage of his own. He wanted everything done away with. Everything. He grabbed fistfuls of wires and ripped them out of the broken machines. He used a cero every few seconds on whatever he could find at this point, large or small.

Kensei no longer bothered to call out to him. He would just drag him away kicking and screaming if he had to. He wasn't going to leave Veneno here to die after they fought together. He was also Ichigo's friend so that alone was reason to help him.

He jumped down among the flames to grab Veneno and haul him out of here. He braved the flames and marched closer, past all the broken glass and tables. Then something caught his eye wedged between the keys of a console. It was a vial with some strange-looking goop inside.

Kensei's eyes changed color as his Hollow took over. He steered Kensei's body over to the vial and snatched it up just before the ceiling fell. His Hollow had no ties to Veneno so he didn't bother to save him. Vial in hand, he bent his knees and jumped up to the open door.

Something told him that this vial was important. He didn't know what it was, but they were looking for anything useful that might help Ichigo. This was the only thing left. Veneno believed that nothing good could come from this lab which was why it had to be destroyed. He was fortunate to have grabbed this vial when he had the chance.

Kensei ran through the living area, ground shaking under his feet. He was thrown off balance many times but kept going. He didn't look back to see the ceiling collapse and didn't care. He made a break for the staircase and sprinted to the surface. He forced his way through the tiny opening and looked over his shoulder just once. The ground had started to cave in where the ceiling had collapsed. It left a deep impression in the ground, like someone pressing a ball of dough with their fist.

Kensei turned away and ran. His Hollow was taking him back to the Seireitei. He wasn't going to let Kensei have control again until they made it back. This vial was important and he had promised Linnette to do everything in his power to help Ichigo. This was all that was left of that lab so it would have to suffice.

That was why he had taken control when he did. He knew Kensei would not do it so he was left little choice. The owner of this body was so short-tempered anyway, there was a good chance he wouldn't listen so this was the easiest way to see to it that he completed his mission. Even if that meant leaving Veneno behind and letting that Quincy get away.

* * *

What will happen next?

Please review! ^-^


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter: 23**

The gates of the Seireitei were opened again, but not because the lock-down had been lifted. It was because a Captain was face-down in the dirt outside. The Soul Reapers on watch came to his aid. He was already starting to stir.

"Captain, are you hurt?"

"Are you alright, sir?"

Kensei lifted himself up onto his knees. He was back at the Seireitei with no memory of how he got there. As he touched his forehead, he felt something in his hand. He opened his fist and looked at the small vial in his hand. "What is this?"

He had no idea what it was or how he got it. He didn't remember picking it up. The last thing he remembered was being in the hideout as it started to collapse. Now he was here. He looked around but couldn't find that Arrancar anywhere. At first he thought that he had been hit by a piece of the collapsing ceiling and the Arrancar carried him back, but now he had a different theory. His other self, the Hollow, must have taken control and took him back to the Seireitei. It must have had something to do with this vial.

His Hollow was given orders to protect Ichigo and help him survive. If he had this vial, that must have meant his Hollow had seen something useful in it. It must have been important.

Kensei stood up. "I need to get to Squad 12's laboratory."

He sprinted the whole way there. If his theory was correct, then this vial must have contained the cure for Ichigo. He may have just saved the day. Waving the bottle in his hand, the members of Research Department led him straight to Mayuri and allowed him inside.

"You better have a damn good reason for disturbing me," scolded Mayuri.

Kensei held up the bottle. "We found the Quincy hideout and I picked this up. I think it may help Ichigo."

Victor looked up.

Mayuri snatched the vial out of his hand and looked it over. He carried it over to a machine and started to analyze it.

Taking this as a promising sign, Kensei started to relax. This could have been over. He might have just solved this problem. Now Mayuri didn't have to bother looking for a cure. The work was done for them. Ichigo was going to be alright. They were going to cure him. Everything was going to be solved and there was nothing left to worry about now but the cleanup.

Mayuri looked through the scope for a closer look. Then he pulled away in annoyance. "This is useless."

"What?" Kensei was shocked. He really thought he had brought something valuable back.

"This is no cure and it's not even what Ichigo was injected with. It looks like an early test combination. A failed one at that."

"A what?"

Mayuri sighed. "Rather than explain it in detail, let me break it down into something you can understand. You cook, yes?"

"Yeah..."

"Let's say you're making a dish that involves rice, like fried rice. You have many other components aside from the rice itself, yes?"

"Ok, so what does that make that?" Kensei pointed to the vial.

"This..." Mayuri gestured to the vial. "This would be undercooked, soggy, mushy rice in a pot of too much water. Without the rice being fully cooked and done well, you can't make the rest of the dish. And if you cook with it anyway, the whole thing falls apart. The same thing holds true for the science. Since this is underdeveloped and on its own useless, nothing can be made from it that will do anyone any good. Consider it a small fraction of a failed experiment. Utterly useless."

Kensei felt so defeated. Even if it wasn't a cure itself, he had hoped it would lead them to something good. Maybe crack the code or even be useful in taking down the Quincies. He had brought back nothing.

"But what wonderful news, finding the hideout. We must go there and gather all that we can. Even if this is useless, we can always find something else that could be beneficial."

Kensei had to tell him and pray he didn't lose his temper. "I hate to break it to you, but... the hideout has been destroyed."

Mayuri's voice was calm. A sure sign that this was the calm before the storm. "Excuse me?" He was about to blow.

"All I could grab was that vial before the place caved in on us. Explosions and fire everywhere and everything else. Veneno went to town on that place. The guy was determined to make sure nothing was left."

Surprisingly, Mayuri didn't explode. He was about to when he heard that name. "Veneno did? He was with you?"

"Yeah. An Arrancar named Veneno. He took that place down. The Quincy who was fighting us ran off. My Hollow took over so I have no idea how I got out of there."

Mayuri slammed his fist on the table then turned away with a weary laugh. "Veneno... Typical. I should have known that Arrancar would pull something like this. Just does what he wants, that idiot."

"You know Veneno?" Kensei asked.

"Know him? I created him." Mayuri paused. "Well, sort of. He's a Hollow I captured and experimented on. Rapid evolution. He became an Arrancar quickly. Long story. But yes, we have a history."

"So he's your experiment?"

"The Head Captain won't allow me to lay claim to him anymore. Veneno's freedom includes freedom from me. I can only touch him or call him mine if Veneno gives up his freedom and lets me experiment on him again. He must willingly come back to me. Until then, Veneno can do what he wants. With limitations, of course. He's an ally. He works with us. So we have a truce going between us. Since you weren't around at the time, I don't blame you for not knowing any of this. I figured someone would have filled you in by now, but once again I must do everything."

"Even if that vial wasn't a cure, are you any closer to finding one?" Kensei asked.

Mayuri shook his head. "Not one that won't kill him in the process. I've managed to come up with a few but most of them didn't survive the trial stages and even less passed the tests. I've run simulations and so much more. Any of them that will actually cure him will only end up killing him as well. Can't have both."

"So whatever doesn't kill him also won't cure him, and anything that cures him will also kill him?"

"That's what I just said."

Things weren't looking good for Ichigo.

Fed up with this, Victor took charge. "Mayuri, I really think we should get some insight from someone else who has knowledge of this. Please, let's contact Kisuke-"

"No!" Mayuri snapped. "Do not ask me that again. I made it clear the first few times you've suggested that and my answer hasn't changed."

"And things have not gotten better. There has been no improvement. Kisuke managed to come up with a cure for the first couple serums I came up with. I really think he can be of assistance to us. He can help."

"I am not contacting him."

Victor frowned. "Are you just too prideful or are you afraid that he is better than you?"

Time stood still.

Mayuri spun around. "What did you say to me?"

"You heard me."

Mayuri stomped over to Victor. "Are you really suggesting such a thing? If you are-"

"You'll do what?" Victor was not afraid of Mayuri. He stood his ground and spoke firmly to him. "You've run your tests on me. You know you cannot hurt me. You also know what I can do to you. Between the two of us, who do you think is going to win?"

Mayuri challenged Victor's eyes. Neither backed back.

Kensei hung back, watching. He did not want to get involved. This was between them.

Mayuri growled but Victor continued to stare back at him with a stoic expression. Finally, Mayuri turned away in angry huff. "Threatening me like that... Sometimes I don't give you enough credit, either."

"Mayuri," said Victor. "I ask you to set aside your pride and ask Kisuke to assist us. You have not come up with a cure in all this time and time is running out for Ichigo. It all comes down to time. Not who is better. We do not have time to argue or to do things on our own. We must ask for help in order to get things done faster. That's all there is. We need more people to help for the sake of time."

Mayuri kept his back turned.

"I don't know what sort of history the two of you have and I do not care. I will not pry. I will, however, ask you to put your feelings aside and ask him to help us. Work together for the sake of time and for Ichigo. Just this once."

Mayuri sighed. "I noticed you didn't phrase it 'ask him for help'. I see you're choosing your words carefully so it won't sound like I'm the weaker one. Smart." Mayuri turned around. "But you have no idea how I feel. Our history is only a small part of it."

"You don't think I have pride? You don't think I know how it feels to know you need help from someone else? Of course I understand," said Victor. "Cedric and I must work together. We must be together. Taking care of Linnette won't work if there is only one of us. She needs us both. As someone who loves her more than anything, can't you imagine how it must feel to know that no matter what you cannot be the only one in her life? That you alone are not enough for her? That someone else must assist you because you can't do it alone?"

Mayuri wasn't looking directly at him but he was listening.

"I thought I could take care of Linnette on my own. That I didn't need Cedric. I tried to kill him so I would be the only one in her life. To take care of her and give her what she wants. I was wrong. She needs us both and only then did I realize that. She created the two of us so there would be balance. I tried to get rid of Cedric because he wouldn't give her everything she wanted. I thought that was wrong. That he didn't love her enough to give her everything. I was wrong. I realized that sometimes, even for the one you love, you must tell them 'no'. I didn't see it that way. I thought it was a lack of love. I learned. Cedric and I are better now and we do care about each other."

"Only because you know that if something happened to the other, everything in her life would be lopsided."

"He is still my brother, Mayuri. I care about him anyway. He is the only one who understands. Has a life like I do and loves the same person. It isn't just him. I'm also talking about other people who have skills neither of us possess. Like doctors. What I'm saying is that even if you have pride, you must be willing to accept help. You cannot do it alone. For something to work well, you must have and give help. You cannot do everything alone. Even if you think you can, it may not be better."

Mayuri was silent for a long time. He thumped his finger on his arm, tapped his foot, looked around the room and made odd noises with his mouth.

Finally, he gave up. "Alright, fine. Have it your way. If the next trial doesn't go well on this batch, I'll call him. You happy?"

Victor smiled his charming smile. "That is all I ask."

Kensei was stunned. Victor actually made Mayuri do something he found utterly repulsive and rage-inducing. He was being compliant. Kensei didn't know Mayuri very well, but he knew how difficult it was to get him to do something he didn't want to, especially from a man with no authority over him.

"What the hell just happened?"

* * *

Yagi watched from the sidelines, his eyes shifting from Ichigo's fight with one Soul Reaper Captain back to the battle between Sharif and the three scrambling around like cockroaches exposed to light. Ichigo was still within his sights but was getting further away which was what he wanted. He hoped Ichigo would defeat the Captain and move on. He had to get closer to the Seireitei as planned. The only issue Yagi could see was that Ichigo was drawn to people. If there was no one in that direction to guide him, Ichigo would turn back the way he came and continue the fight with these other Soul Reapers. It wasn't exactly what Yagi wanted. The only upside to this was the fact that Ichigo would once again be fighting his friends. What Yagi wanted was for Ichigo to attack the Seireitei. At this rate, that might never happen. He had to find a way to lure Ichigo in the direction he wanted.

In the meantime, Sharif was having a blast. This body didn't tire easily and was far more powerful than the one he had before. He could keep this up all day. This was a lot of fun. These people didn't stand a chance.

Shinji tried to distract Sharif while Rukia used her Zanpakuto to freeze him. Sharif escaped every time. Even when part of his body was caught in an ice trap, he always managed to break out with little injury if any. He was just too strong. Sharif grabbed Rukia out of the air and held her down with his oversized arm. He opened his mouth to fire a cero at close-range.

From a large bolder, Linnette threw rocks at Sharif to get his attention. It was all she could do to help Rukia. Rukia fired a kido at Sharif and the blast from the direct hit knocked him back a little. She wiggled free and ran to gain some distance. "Hado 33!" Rukia fired several attacks at Sharif but none of them were enough to cause him great damage. Some he took willingly just to prove how tough he was. He wanted to frighten them with his power. It was working. Rukia was starting to wonder how they would defeat him.

Shinji dove under Sharif's body and cut across his stomach with his sword. All that came from that attack were sparks. Like metal scrapping across metal. Sharif's body was like armor. He was too well protected, even on his underside. If they had any hope of causing him injury, they would have to aim at his human parts. Shinji knew that would be difficult because Sharif would also be aware of his weakness and try to protect it. So far, his face and part of his chest were still human. Surely he would see an attack coming straight at his head. It was too direct. They had to come up with a plan.

"How's Rose doing?" Shinji asked Rukia.

"He's still fighting Ichigo. But he's doing ok."

Shinji sighed. "When we were training Ichigo, we took his Hollow on one at a time, in a tag-team. We have to give Rose a break. He can't keep this up on his own."

"We're not doing so hot ourselves. Not only is Sharif strong, but we also have to worry about Yagi taking part in this fight. He's just standing there watching at the moment but that could change. We also have to worry about stray attacks from Ichigo. And we also have to keep an eye on Linnette and protect her. She's not like us. She's human. She's weaker and an easier target."

"Yeah, I get that. But what do you suggest we do?"

Rukia saw Sharif ready another attack. "Right now, run!"

He fired a cero at them. The blast stirred up a powerful wind that blew Linnette off the bolder. Sharif fired again and Linnette hid behind the bolder, covering her head with her arms. She could feel the earth move under her and knew she couldn't stay here. She got up as soon as the wind subsided and ran to another stone for cover.

Sharif saw her running and opened his mouth to unleash another cero. Linnette wasn't looking at him. Her eyes were on the hiding place she was trying to get to. She would never see the attack coming until it was too late.

Sharif fired but not at Linnette. He fired at Rukia who was running the opposite direction. The blast knocked her off her feet but she didn't take a direct hit.

Shinji saw this and cocked his head. "Did he just..?"

"Show me what you've got!" Sharif stomped past Linnette and went after Rukia while she was down. "Get up and show me, Soul Reaper!" He slammed his fist into the ground behind her, knocking her into the air. While she was airborne, he slammed his fist into her body and back into the ground. "Is that all you've got?"

Rukia held out her sword which sank into Sharif's palm as he tried to smash her again. He pulled away in pain and slapped her with his other hand. She rolled across the ground and struggled to her feet, coughing.

Shinji jumped behind Sharif and took aim at his nape. Sensing him, Sharif spun around and grabbed Shinji's Zanpakuto with the tips of his fingers, stopping the attack. He pulled the sword down and Shinji was taken with it. Sharif slammed his knee into Shinji's stomach and threw him away.

"You are making this too easy for me!"

Shinji landed on his back and lifted his head to look at Sharif. The deformed Quincy scoffed at him and turned back to Rukia.

Rojuro took his eyes off Ichigo to look over in their direction. "I have to help Shinji." He jumped back to avoid Ichigo's claws. Rojuro stumbled slightly, getting worn out. "You're not making this easy, Ichigo. Even when we were training you, we did it as a group. We didn't take you on completely alone. But you were pretty hard to beat. Of course, we weren't trying to beat you. Just keep you busy until you won against your Hollow and came back."

Ichigo roared and beat the ground with his fists.

"This is different. The way you are now, what he did to you..." Rojuro sighed heavily, deeply troubled. "It's hard for me to hold back this much. I have to make sure I don't kill you, but at the same time, you're trying to kill me. You know how hard it is to fight like that? Against someone like that? It's not easy. If I came at you seriously, you would be dead. But I can't do that. It's easier to go all out than it is to hold back and try not to get killed."

Ichigo huffed, steam shooting from his open mouth and nostrils.

"Not that I could kill you anyway. It's not just because we're friends and I wouldn't feel right about it. It's because the other me won't allow it. I know he'll jump in and take over the second I try."

Ichigo growled and lifted himself up, making himself as tall as he could.

"You can't make this easy, can you?"

The Hollow came at him and slashed. Roujro dodged as he had been doing for some time. Only now he was stumbling. He was afraid to use his Shikai on Ichigo, fearing it might be too much. He felt so limited. This fight would be a lot easier if he didn't have to hold back so much.

Ichigo came at him again and this time Rojuro wasn't quick enough. He stumbled back and pressed a hand to his right leg. His hakama had been torn open. A red streak of blood ran down his thigh, leaving polka-dots on the ground. The cut wasn't very deep but it was still painful.

Yagi saw the attack happen and smiled. Now that a Soul Reaper's leg was injured, it would be harder for him to dodge and attack. He was weakened. This would make attacking him easier. Finishing him off wouldn't be very difficult.

"Leader! Leader, sir!"

Yagi turned to his right. Mordere was running towards him covered in dirt and torn clothing. There were blood stains on his clothing and on his arm.

"What are you doing here? I thought you were back at the hideout."

"I was, but a Soul Reaper Captain appeared and attacked. The place is trashed and... Leader, there's nothing to return to. The hideout has been destroyed."

"Destroyed?" Yagi didn't look outraged. Only mildly upset. It was as if someone had told him the last cookie he had been saving had been eaten by someone else. "How much of it?"

"It's all buried. Everything's gone, sir."

Yagi turned away with a heavy sigh. "I see..." He was silent for a while. Everything they had was in that hideout. "It can't be helped. But this is more of a reason to get a move on."

"Leader, sir... Without the hideout, we don't have shelter. All your supplies, all our food, everything is gone."

Keeping his arms folded, Yagi shrugged. "I had intended for us to move into the Seireitei once the Soul Reapers were taken care of. It's just taking a little longer than I thought. If Ichigo doesn't get going..."

Mordere and Yagi looked in the Hollow's direction. Ichigo was still fighting Rojuro. With his leg injury and fatigue, it was getting harder for him to dodge.

Rojuro stepped back. When he tried to take another step, Ichigo stomped down on his foot and held him in place. Rojuro couldn't get his foot loose. Ichigo was crushing it. "Uh-oh!"

Ichigo raised his arm and threw it into Rojuro from an underhand position. His fist slammed into Rojuro's jaw and snapped his head back. Ichigo stepped off his foot and watched him sail through the air backwards. Rojuro landed on his head and lay sprawled out on the ground. Ichigo roared triumphantly.

"Rose!" Shinji saw his friend go flying and grew worried. He wasn't moving. Without thinking, Shinji ran to his side, narrowly missing being hit with one of Sharif's arms. "Rose!"

He slid on his knees, stopping at Rojuro's side. He was still breathing but he was in no shape to move.

"I'm fine, Shinji. I'll live."

"We need to get you medical attention."

"It's not that bad. What I need is time to rest. Ichigo packs a wallop."

Yagi and Mordere watched Ichigo snort and snarl, looking for his next target.

"Mordere..?"

"Yes, leader?"

"I have a task for you," said Yagi. "I want you to lure Ichigo to the Seireitei. He won't go unless someone lures him there. He's drawn to people. If you get him close enough to a populated District, he'll start attacking people. If the Soul Reapers don't want innocent blood on their hands, they'll come to stop him. If not, then Ichigo will just have to keeping battling until there is nothing left. Eventually he'll have to reach the Seireitei and when he does, there will be Soul Reapers to attack."

Mordere didn't question his leader. It made sense when Yagi explained. Ichigo was looking for people to attack. Since there wasn't anyone around for miles, his closest target were the people gathered here. Ichigo had no reason to go in the direction of the Seireitei if there was no one in that direction. He had to be lured.

"Understood, leader. I'll draw him close."

"Good. I'm tired of waiting for him." Yagi sighed. "I knew there would be setbacks, but I expected Ichigo to have reached that area by now. His stubbornness is so irritating."

Mordere went to do his job. He fired an arrow past Ichigo's head to get his attention. Ichigo looked in his direction and snarled. "This way, you mock Soul Reaper fool."

Ichigo roared and chased after Mordere. He led Ichigo away from the others and toward the Seireitei.

Shinji watched it all happen and cursed under his breath. "These guys are a huge pain in the ass."

"I told you I'm fine," said Rojuro. "Deal with the other guys. You can take out the leader since he's just standing there."

"Him standing there is what worries me. He'll be expecting an attack and I don't want to start something that can be avoided. Right now Sharif is our biggest problem. He has to be dealt with first."

"Then go do it."

Shinji knew he was right. "Hang tight, Rose."

Sharif was still going after Rukia. No matter how much ice she used, he broke free every time. When he fired a cero, Rukia ran to cover Linnette. As the only human, Linnette felt like a liability. She had to be protected and couldn't do anything in this fight. She was getting in the way. Rukia and Shinji couldn't attack properly since they had to look after her.

"I'll lure him away," Rukia told her. "You run and hide behind some rocks."

Rukia and Linnette ran in different directions. Linnette lost her footing and fell. Sharif ignored her and went after Rukia. Linnette got up and ran to a hiding place.

Shinji arrived and kicked Sharif in the head. He landed and jumped straight up, punching Sharif in the jaw. Sharif grabbed Shinji and threw him on the ground. He stomped on him and went after Rukia again. Rukia was still running, trying to lure Sharif away.

Linnette came out of her hiding place and ran to another location, wanting to help. She wanted to be useful.

Sharif stood tall and opened his mouth to use another cero while Rukia's back was to him.

Seeing this, Shinji stood and aimed a Kido at the back of Sharif's head. He fired and ran. Sharif took the attack and spun around with a snarl. Rukia managed to escape and Shinji was out of his sight.

Shinji slipped into a gap between a couple of rocks and hid. There was a sharp pain in his leg. It must have been from when Sharif had stomped on him. He had several small cuts but they were hardly bleeding. The real issue was with the pain in his leg every time he put weight on it. He must have strained something.

Sharif puffed out a hot breath of air and turned his attention back to Rukia. She was waiting for him with her sword. "You're looking rundown, Soul Reaper. I, however, am still full of energy. You want to keep going? You don't stand a chance."

Rukia didn't budge an inch.

"Have it your way." Sharif charged forward. He fired a cero which Rukia dodged.

"Ah?!" Rukia stopped, seeing Linnette running her direction. She thought Linnette was hiding elsewhere. Being here was too dangerous.

Linnette dove in front of Rukia when she saw Sharif open his mouth again. "Stop! Stop!"

Sharif didn't fire a cero. Instead, he reached around Linnette to grab Rukia with his hand. Rukia sliced his fingers and pulled Linnette to safety.

Shinji watched, again cocking his head to one side. "That's strange... Is he..?"

Sharif looked around for Rukia. He saw Linnette standing in front of him and growled. Linnette didn't move. He kept his eyes on her until he sensed something move and looked up. He saw Rukia dive behind another large rock. He stomped around Linnette and went after Rukia.

Rukia froze the ground, hoping Sharif would slide on the ice and fall. He drove his claws into the ground to keep himself steady and fired a cero at her. Rukia ran in a circle around him. Sharif continued to fire.

As he turned, he came face-to-face with Linnette again. He didn't fire. He continued to rotate and then fired. He pulled his claws free and jumped. He landed on a bolder and fired a cero at Rukia. The blast threw her into the air.

He snarled and saw her land somewhere behind Linnette. Sharif aimed high and fired. The cero sailed over their heads and caused an explosion in the distance. If he had aimed lower, he could have taken out both Rukia and Linnette with one shot.

"Stop!" Linnette screamed at him.

Sharif was standing right in front of her. He raised his arm and brought it down beside her. The impact blew her hair to one side and caused her to flinch in fear. He ran past her to get to Rukia.

Rukia was no longer there. She had gotten up and was now behind Sharif. She cut into his shoulder and he turned, using his elbow to knock her weapon aside. "Stop kidding yourself. Even if you do manage to hit me, it won't be enough to stop me."

Rukia jumped back and used another pillar of ice to stop him. It didn't last for long. In a matter of seconds, Sharif was free and coming after her again.

Once again, Linnette was in the line of fire. Sharif was aiming an attack at her. Linnette flinched. Sharif fired a cero low to the ground. The blast was aimed a short distance from her feet. The explosion knocked her off balance but didn't hurt her.

Rukia grabbed Linnette and carried her off.

Watching from his hiding place, Shinji stared at them with wide eyes. "I'm sure of it now. There's no mistake."

Sharif wasn't trying to hurt Linnette.

Shinji waved the girls over to where he was hiding. They hurried over and hid with him.

"We need a plan," said Rukia.

"I think I have one," said Shinji. "It's risky but I think we have a real shot."

"Ok. What is it?"

Shinji turned to Linnette. "It involves you. Linnette, you have to take control of Sharif using your voice."

"What?!"

"Shinji, she can't do that," Rukia told him. "I mean, Captain Hirako. Why would you consider such a thing? It's not possible. She has no power over him. Yagi said so himself."

"And you believe the guy?" Shinji explained his reasons. "I was watching Sharif attack. He had several opportunities to hurt Linnette only he didn't. It's not that she's lucky or that he's a bad shot. He's missing on purpose. He's not trying to hit her."

"He could be doing that because she's not his enemy."

"Why wouldn't she be? Yagi knew enough to target her before because he knew she was dangerous. She can be a threat to them, too. Sharif knows this. He attacked her before, Ichigo told me. Why would things be different now? I'll tell you. It's because of that new body he's got. He has Hollow body parts."

"But Yagi just explained that Linnette couldn't control him because her powers effect a Hollow's mind. Not their body. Since he knows about her powers, why would he be stupid enough to give him the powers of a Hollow knowing Linnette would be able to control him? He's thought this through. Since Sharif doesn't have a Hollow's mind, Linnette's powers won't work on him."

"So he thinks," said Shinji. "I think Yagi made a mistake."

"How? What mistake?"

Shinji explained his theory. "Yagi said that Sharif has a split personality. He said that that persona is gone thanks to this procedure. But that's impossible. People who have alternate personalities and stuff like that can't get rid of them. They deal with them. They just have better control in some cases, but they're still there. There's no getting rid of them. Just the same way I can't get rid of my Hollow self. He's always going to be in there. I think it's the same way for him. And it doesn't make any sense anyhow. How could operating on someone's body have an effect on their mental state? It doesn't work that way."

"Then why would Yagi say that?" asked Linnette. "You think he was lying?"

"I think even he isn't aware of it. He probably doesn't know."

"But Sharif said that it was gone and since it's a part of him, how would he know or not know something like that?"

Shinji had an answer for that, too. "I think his other personality is still inside him, just dormant. My theory is that since his personality can't be removed, it has to still be inside him, just as something else. I think his other personality became his Hollow self."

"So even Sharif has an inner Hollow?" Rukia said in surprise.

"Basically, Sharif's a mock Vizard. Not exactly, but more or less the same," said Shinji. "With Hollow powers comes a Hollow self. I think that's what we're dealing with here. Only no one's aware of it yet."

"I see," said Rukia. "That actually makes sense. When Linnette uses her voice on you and Ichigo, it's not you she's controlling. It's the Hollows inside of you. Sharif must be the same way. If Linnette can call upon his other self, we might be able to bring Sharif over to our side. At the very least, we can get him to quit attacking us."

"It's worth a shot."

Linnette liked the plan. She just wasn't sure how to do it. If Sharif wasn't exactly the same as a Vizard or a Hollow, using her powers on him might not be the same.

"All you have to do is talk to him. That way Shinji won't get effected."

Linnette shook her head. "I can only talk to Hollows and control them like that after they've heard me sing. That's the only way I've been able to do it. So for me to control Sharif or his Hollow by just talking, he'll have to hear me sing first."

"So..." Rukia looked at Shinji. This meant he would be effected as well.

That was how her power worked. Song was for wide-range and simply speaking would target a single individual without effecting anyone nearby.

The problem was that in order for her speaking voice to have an effect on Hollows, they must hear her song first. Linnette wasn't sure why it worked that way, but she figured it had something to do with association to some degree. A Hollow would hear her speaking voice and recognize it from her songs. It was only a theory. Linnette was still discovering things about herself and her powers.

"But if you use your voice, then Shinji will be effected." Rukia knew that Shinji wouldn't do anything hostile with Linnette around to keep him in line. She was only concerned for his feelings on being manipulated. While his Hollow was in control, Shinji was unconscious. Rukia imagined he wouldn't find the experience very enjoyable during a battle. The last thing they needed was a hazy Soul Reaper swinging a sword around.

"But what if he's like Veneno or how Ichigo is now and my voice will only make him angry?"

"We have to take that chance." Shinji paused, listening for Sharif. "I'm willing to put up with hearing her voice for a minute just so Sharif can get a taste. Then we'll see if he can be tamed."

"Are you sure?" Linnette asked.

Shinji tried to act like he didn't care one way or the other. "Ah, if you're worried I'll get pissed, don't. It's like you explained to us on the way here. You only use your voice if it's needed and if people give you permission. I'm giving you permission. Go right ahead."

Linnette nodded. He was putting his faith in her. She wouldn't let him down. If this was the only way she could be useful in this battle, then so be it. "Ok. I'm ready if you are."

"Make sure he hears you."

Sharif waited for the Soul Reapers to show themselves. He knew they were planning an attack but was confident he could handle anything they threw at him.

His eyes darted to the right, seeing two flashes of white and black. Shinji went one way and Rukia went another. Linnette crawled on top of the rock and took a deep breath. Sharif stared at her, wondering what she was planning.

Linnette started to sing. Sharif couldn't understand the song but she had a lovely voice.

As she sang, Shinji dropped to his knees, his body trembling. He was fighting to remain in control but was losing the battle. In an instant, his eyes changed and his Hollow took over.

Further away, Rojuro started to conduct with his hand, listening to her voice from where he lay. The trio had forgotten that he was still close by and would also be effected. "A symphony without an end..." he gushed, his eyes aglow. "My sweet songbird is so darling."

Shinji slumped to the ground in a giggle fit. His eyes were also glowing. "I swear, I'm getting high off my kitten's song. So pretty... So beautiful..."

Rukia saw how they were effected and turned to Sharif with hopeful eyes.

Sadly, he was the only one not effected by her voice. He didn't even flinch. He just stood there, listening with a bored expression on his face. Then he spoke over her song. "Are you almost finished? As pretty as it is, it's not fitting battle music."

Linnette slowed her song then stopped. Sharif was still looking at her but nothing had changed. "It... It's not working..!"

"Of course not," said Yagi. Seeing her try to use her voice to tame Sharif brought him not even an ounce of worry. He was confident in his creation. "Didn't I just finish explaining that her voice only effects the mind of a Hollow which Sharif doesn't have? It's all pointless. It will have no effect on him. But you clearly didn't believe me. I don't blame you for trying. You had to see it for yourself. Now do you believe me?"

That was their last chance. Their only hope of stopping Sharif. Any other way would be too dangerous. Someone was bound to end up injured or worse. They were up against two strong Quincies. If they could get one to come over to their side, it would even the odds.

Sharif had the powers of both a Hollow and Quincy. He was too strong for just them to handle.

Rukia saw Sharif move closer to Linnette. She hated to admit it, but Shinji was wrong. Sharif avoiding her with attacks must have been a coincidence. Sharif was really going to hurt her.

Rukia took off as fast as she could and stood beside Linnette to protect her. Linnette's frail human body was no match for someone like Sharif. He was too strong for even a Soul Reaper to handle.

Seeing this, Shinji got to his feet and rushed to the girls. He stood in front of Linnette, narrowing his gold eyes at the deformed Quincy. "Like I'd let you hurt my little kitten," he hissed. "If you do anything to harm her, there will be hell to pay. I'll paint the ground with your blood."

"I'd love to see you try, Hollow-filth," said Sharif.

"Look who's talking."

"My condition is different." Sharif took a step to his right to line up a shot. He was going to take all three of them out at once. "I still have my senses. You have taken leave of yours. Now you're standing so close together, creating an easy target."

Linnette still believed Shinji was on to something when he noticed that Sharif avoided hitting her with an attack. That couldn't have been coincidence. She was sure he was doing it on purpose, even if he didn't realize it. It must have been subconscious. She also believed that Sharif's other personality must still be around as Shinji said. It must have become his inner Hollow.

Her song didn't effect him. That was worrisome. However, if Sharif was avoiding her subconsciously, then it was possible that a change had taken effect without anyone knowing it. Maybe she had tamed his Hollow, but it was discrete. It must have happened inside Sharif without even him being aware of it. Sharif wasn't a real Hollow or a real Vizard. According to Shinji, he was close enough to being a Vizard that he could have been treated the same. That meant she could command him.

Even if her song showed no effect on the surface, maybe something had happened inside. Hollows didn't want to hurt her, so in theory, Sharif wouldn't follow through with the attack so long as she was in the way.

Sharif opened his mouth. A cero was starting to form.

"We have to get out of here," warned Rukia.

Shinji was getting ready to attack. He would sooner take the attack himself than let harm come to Linnette.

"Wait, you two," said Linnette. "Hang on."

The cero was getting bigger.

"We have to get out of the way, Linnette," Rukia told her.

"As long as I'm here, he won't attack. He won't hurt me. Like Shinji said."

Bigger and bigger...

"You might be wrong on this one. He's aiming right at us and there's no way he can hit one of us without hitting all of us. We're too close together."

The cero was fully formed and ready to be unleashed.

Linnette looked behind Sharif. Yagi was perfectly alined with his comrade. The leader was directly behind Sharif, watching with a smirk on his face. He thought he had it all planned out perfectly.

"Sharif!" Linnette screamed. "About face!"

Just as she said those words, Sharif's body turned.

The cero was fired straight at Yagi.

"What?!"

"Huh?!"

Yagi dove out of the way just in time. The land behind him was blown to pieces and there was a huge crater in the ground, still steaming.

Sharif felt weak. "Leader!" He took a few steps closer. "Leader, are you alright?"

Yagi looked furious. "Why did you do that?" he snapped.

"I- I'm sorry! I didn't mean to!" Sharif was very shaken by what had happened. "I didn't do that on purpose. I don't know what happened! I must have lost my footing or something. I'm sorry, leader! I'm sorry!"

Rukia was amazed. Sharif didn't lose his footing. He obeyed Linnette's order. She told him to turn around just as he was firing the cero. He listened to her. Shinji was right after all.

* * *

Now what?

Please review! ^-^


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter: 24**

Ichigo opened his eyes and found himself on the ground. Mordere was standing over him.

"You are something else." Mordere kicked him in the ribs. Ichigo was rolled onto his side but he didn't have the strength to double over from the pain in his rib. He couldn't move. Mordere kicked him again and Ichigo had no choice but to take it.

The pain wasn't too bad. Most of his body had gone numb. Maybe he was in too much pain to feel anything.

"Get up." Mordere picked Ichigo up by his hair. "Get up," he ordered again.

Ichigo hung limply. He couldn't even throw a punch at the Quincy holding him off the ground.

Mordere threw him forward and Ichigo landed on his face. Mordere kicked him, causing him to roll a few feet in the dirt. Mordere kicked him again and Ichigo rolled a little further. "On your feet. Get a move on." Mordere kicked him again. "Get to the Seireitei already. I haven't got all day."

Even if he could, Ichigo wouldn't do as Mordere wished. He wasn't going to the Seireitei. He knew they wanted him to attack the Soul Reapers and take out as many of them as possible. They wanted the Soul Reapers to kill him.

Mordere kicked him again and Ichigo rolled onto his side without making a sound. He didn't even grunt from being kicked or whimper from the pain. He was empty. Empty of sound and strength. He felt like he had nothing left.

"So pathetic." Mordere knelt down to look at him. "Why are you doing this? Are you resisting still? What's the point? Look what's become of you by doing that. You can no longer move. All your strength is going into fighting off the transformation. Just think if you had the strength you would have had by not resisting, you would be able to do something to me right now. See how stupid you are? You should have just let the change happen and not bother fighting back. You've only succeeded in wearing yourself out. Now you have nothing."

Ichigo couldn't get his eyes to focus. He stared straight ahead at Mordere's shoe. He could hear him talking but had no idea what expression he was wearing. It sounded smug. Even a little annoyed.

"Quincies are better. Better than you, better than everyone. Especially Soul Reapers. We are kings among lowly humans. We're just treated like crap to keep us down. To make us feel like we're not as good as we are. They fear us."

Ichigo tried to speak. "How... would you... know that?"

"Because my foster parents were that way," said Mordere. "I lost my real parents somehow. No one explained how it happened. I was put in foster care and given to a new family. I was young. They raised me as one of them. Only I wasn't."

Ichigo could hear the emotion in his voice. Mordere was upset. There was resentment in his voice. Anger.

"I discovered my Quincy abilities while I was playing. I was even able to see things no one else could. Like ghosts and I spoke with them often. When my foster parents saw this, they grew afraid. When I showed them what I could do, they grew even more frightened. Since I never knew my real parents, I had no idea what a Quincy was and had no idea I was one. I was raised by simple humans. And those humans took me away to a facility to be cured. As if I were sick. Like I was crazy. Like I was different from how I should be."

"They were just concerned about you," said Ichigo weakly. "They didn't know about Quincies either. You can't blame them for not understanding something they know nothing about."

"Their solution was to send me away to be cured. I'm not the bad guy here."

"They didn't know what was going on. They thought they were helping you. They cared enough to-"

"If they cared at all, they wouldn't have done that!" Mordere snapped. "I wasn't at that place for long, but I was frightened every single day. The way I was treated, I thought there was something wrong with me. That these powers were a curse. I was scared. I tried to hide my powers so I would be normal and so I could leave that place. But I still saw ghosts and I couldn't tell if they were real people or not. What I went through... I ran away from that place. I couldn't take it anymore and I ran. I wanted to go back home and beg my foster parents to take me back and promise them that I wouldn't do anything again. I would never use my abilities again. I was ashamed of my powers. I felt like a freak."

Ichigo could understand that. Sometimes he felt like his ability to see ghosts was a curse that labeled him as weird. He even partly blamed himself for what happened to his mother. If only he hadn't seen what he saw, he would have never run off which prompted his mother to chase him. It was his fault. He was ashamed and angry with himself. He worked through it, but there were times when he had those feelings still, usually around the anniversary of her death. He would always have scars. He would never be completely over it.

"But I was afraid they wouldn't take me back," continued Mordere. "I thought they would be too afraid of me and not let me in. Or even worse, take me back to that horrible place. I had nowhere to go. So I stayed in different places. I hid in a neighbor's tree house and slept there at night. Or in the park in one of those colorful tunnels next to the swings. I stole candy from the store or sneaked back home when I knew my foster parents were working. That lasted a week. I started to wonder if people were even looking for me. If anyone cared."

Linnette had also lived on the street when she ran away from one orphanage when she was little. She lived on the street for one full year before people took notice and brought her to a new orphanage. Ichigo was sure Mordere and Linnette had a few things in common they could talk about. Maybe she could get through to him and have him change his mind about what he was doing. There was always a chance.

"Then one day I was being attacked my a Hollow in the park and I was all alone. I was sure I'd die but then someone shot the Hollow with an arrow and saved me. I saw him using powers similar to mine and was amazed. I thought I was the only one. I couldn't make arrows like he could, but the light he was using was just like mine. He told me that he was a Quincy and so was I. I told him I knew nothing about being a Quincy and had no idea there were others. He said I could come with him and live with my own kind. He said they would teach me. I was so happy and had nothing to lose. I joined them and my life got so much better. They showed me what to do. They trained me. I learned so much. Quincy tools and everything. I finally felt like I was part of a real family. I was happy."

Ichigo tried to turn his head but it wouldn't move. He wanted to look at Mordere when he spoke to him.

"I think I get it," said Ichigo. "That's why you're doing this. Why you're the way you are. Because they took you in and made you feel like you were part of their family, you sided with them on everything. No matter what, you're going to stick with your own kind. You'll always side with Quincies. On everything."

"Why wouldn't I?" said Mordere. "I'm a Quincy, so whatever a Quincy does, I will do, too. It's only right. Whatever a Quincy does, says or believes is right. I was told that Quincies are strong, so I will be strong. Quincies are better, therefore everyone else is scum. And after what I went through with my foster family and those other human beings at that medical facility, it only confirms what I already believe. They treated me like I was the freak. That I was different and therefore the one who had to change. Well, I am different but that doesn't make me wrong. That I am the one who has to change. I'm different and I'm better."

Ichigo was able to look away from Mordere's shoe and lifted his gaze as far as he could take it. "What you are doesn't make you bad or the one who's in the wrong. Just because you're a Quincy, that doesn't mean that you're automatically wrong on everything and can't do anything right. That's not true and I'm sorry people made you feel that way. But the choices you make are what define such things. Being a Quincy doesn't make you great. It's what you do that decides that. Your actions make you great, not your kind."

Mordere looked down at him. Ichigo's words seemed to have no effect on him. "Quincies are superior. We're better. We're great. I'm a Quincy so of course I believe that."

"You have pride in your own kind. I get that," said Ichigo. "But your foster parents took care of you. Welcomed you into their home. They only did what they did because they didn't know what else to do. They were worried about you. Not scared of you, but of what you could do. They didn't know what to think. They thought they were helping you. For all they knew, it was something that could cause you harm. They thought they were protecting you. They were trying to be good parents."

"Don't defend them," snapped Mordere. "If they were good parents, they would have let me do as I pleased. They would have encouraged me rather than send me away to be 'cured'. A good parent lets you do what you want."

"So if you want to hurt people, a good parent would let you? If you want to kill innocent people, they should encourage you? Think about it, Mordere! If a parent did that, you would never learn anything! You wouldn't be a good person at all. A parent has to give you limitations and can't let you do whatever you please. Especially if it's going to hurt people."

"Only those who are not Quincies deserve it. I could never expect them to understand. A human could never."

"They still took care of you. They were you're parents."

"They were not! They weren't blood! They weren't Quincies! They were foster parents! I was raised by strangers who knew nothing! If I had stayed with them, I would have never discovered who I truly was. I would have never become great. I would have been forced to live as a human and live a lie! Squeezing me to fit a certain mold." Mordere was seething. He was angry. "They wanted to cage me. They weren't Quincies so they would never understand. They were unfit to raise me. A Quincy can only be raised properly by his own kind. Any other way would be wrong. A lie. A human could never do that. I belong with Quincies. They are my family. They understand me and can take proper care of me. They know what I need. My foster parents... Never. Just a couple of strangers who could never understand. Who would try to change me into something I'm not. I would never reach my full potential with them. I would be limited. Held back. Forced to live the life of a lowly, worthless human. It was proof enough when they sent me away to be cured! It shows that they were always unfit. That's why once I had my training and learned how to use my arrows, I came back and killed them both!"

Ichigo felt frozen. Even his spine had gone cold. "You... killed them?"

"That's right. I killed them both with the very power they feared."

Ichigo managed to turn his head just enough to see Mordere's face. He was proud of what he did. There was no remorse in his eyes. Mordere was happy. He was pleased with himself. He believed he had done the right thing.

"Don't give me that look, Ichigo," he said. "It's only what they deserved."

Mordere was beyond saving at this point. He truly believed he was in the right. There was no getting through to him. No changing his mind. This was how he was. No matter what, he would always side with his own kind.

Purely because they were Quincies, he felt that everything they did was justified. No matter how horrible, a Quincy could do no wrong.

Mordere grabbed a fistful of Ichigo's hair again. "No matter what, I will always choose the side of a Quincy." He lifted Ichigo painfully off the ground. "And my Quincy leader told me to bring you to the Seireitei so some heads can roll. So that's what I'm going to do."

He threw Ichigo in the direction he wanted him to go. Ichigo fell on his face again, this time, letting a moan escape from his throat. It hurt. Everything hurt.

"Get up." Mordere kicked him in the back. "Get up!"

Why couldn't they just leave him alone?

Mordere grabbed the back of Ichigo's clothing and picked him off the ground. He dragged Ichigo a short distance and threw him again. "On your feet!"

Ichigo couldn't feel his legs. How was he supposed to walk? Mordere was just plain cruel. Was this how the Quincies raised him to be? Was he this way because it was how he felt a Quincy should be? He was cruel because a Quincy could be? He could do anything and be anything he wanted?

Mordere picked him up again and dragged him across the dirt by his collar. The fabric cut into Ichigo's neck but there was little he could do about it. He was dragged for a distance in the direction of the Seireitei.

There was nothing he could do about it. He was helpless.

* * *

Sharif and Yagi stared at each other for a full minute. Neither could understand what had happened.

Shinji blinked and his eyes returned to normal. "How long was I out?"

"Not long," said Rukia. "But you were right. Linnette's voice had some sort of effect on him."

"Really? How much?"

"He's not fully tame but she ordered him to turn around and he did. But his Hollow self isn't in control. His actions seemed to be involuntary."

Shinji looked at Sharif who was still baffled by what had happened. "He's not the same as a Vizard, but I figured the principals were about the same. Because he's not exactly the same, things must be more complicated. I'm not sure how to figure him."

Yagi looked at the group and frowned. He was certain Linnette wasn't controlling him. Sharif's eyes never changed. He wasn't acting the way the Vizards did when they were under her command. This must have been a fluke.

"Never mind. Sharif, try it again. Attack them."

"Yes, sir." Brushing it off, Sharif turned back to finish the job. He opened his mouth and quickly fired another cero before Linnette could say anything.

The group retreated. Rukia kept Linnette close and Shinji broke away to attack from a different angle.

"Sharif, stop!" Linnette ordered him. "Stop!"

He didn't obey.

Pleased with this, Yagi smiled. This was enough to prove to him that it was just a fluke. Linnette had no control over him.

Linnette was at a loss for what to do next. Sharif wasn't listening to her. Maybe if she made herself bait it would work. Maybe he only listened to her if her life was in danger.

She pushed away from Rukia and ran to catch up with Sharif. It might have been foolish to put herself in danger like this, but it was the only thing she could come up with.

Rukia knew what she was doing and didn't approve. She watched, tense, as Linnette ran to the Quincy. She was trying to get his attention. Rukia knew Linnette didn't want to be scooped up and carried to safety so she stayed back.

"Sharif!" Linnette called as she ran. "Sharif!"

He looked down and saw her running alongside him. "Out of my way," he ordered and took a swing at her. The swing was wide and was never meant to reach her. He was trying to scare her away.

"Please stop! I don't want Shinji or any of my friends to get hurt! Please stop!"

"I said to get out of my way." Sharif stepped around her and went after Shinji.

Linnette couldn't keep up and fell. She watched Sharif attack Shinji and knew he wasn't going to listen to her.

This whole thing seemed pointless.

Shinji saw him coming and blocked with his sword. Sharif wrapped his clawed hands around Shinji, sword and all, and pulled him down. He slammed Shinji into the ground, over and over. When he felt Shinji go limp, he opened his hand and looked at him. Shinji was still conscious but his whole body was sore and battered.

Sharif took hold of each arm and lifted Shinji up. He started pulling in opposite directions, intending to rip Shinji in half.

Shinji groaned and tried to pull back to keep his shoulders from popping out. His Zanpakuto was on the ground well out of reach.

Sharif was still pulling but he wasn't pulling any harder, though he was more than capable. He was pulling Shinji tight, but not enough to pull him apart.

"Finish him," Yagi ordered.

Sharif didn't pull any harder. He kept Shinji's arms straight but refused to pull any tighter. He didn't go in for the kill. He didn't blast him with a cero. He just held him there.

"Why aren't you killing him?" Yagi asked, losing patience.

"Because..."

"Because why?"

Sharif and Shinji made eye contact. Nothing in his eyes had changed. Sharif was still in control.

"Because why?" Yagi pressed.

"Because if I do, she'll be sad."

Sharif spoke in perfect monotone. His eyes never changed, but something inside him was trying to gain control.

Sharif shook his head. "Why did I say that?" He was speaking in his normal voice.

Yagi was very disturbed by Sharif's response.

Sharif continued to hold Shinji but couldn't bring himself to kill him for reasons he could not understand.

He was starting to get frightened. Something was wrong with him. He didn't know what, but he didn't like it. Something didn't feel right.

"Leader, I don't know what's wrong with me. My body won't listen."

Yagi didn't answer him. He stared at him like a machine out of control. No matter how many times he pressed the button, something else would happen. He couldn't understand.

It couldn't have been Linnette, could it? That was impossible. He did his research. He knew her powers and abilities. Sharif wasn't being controlled by her. This was something else. Something was wrong with his body. Sharif had something wrong with his Hollow body. That had to be it.

This form was strictly experimental so Yagi couldn't call it perfect. There must have been a few kinks to work out.

"Leader, please help. I don't know what's wrong with me."

Yagi cast a disappointed eye on Sharif and sighed. "I suppose you're not as perfect as I pegged you, Sharif."

Sharif grew worried. The last time he was thought to be less than perfect, Yagi locked him in a cage to be feasted on by Ichigo.

"Leader, please don't discard me!" he begged. "I can do it. Really. I'll just try harder. Leader, please give me a chance to prove myself to you. Your efforts to rebuild me were not in vain. I'm still useful."

"Enough." Yagi held up his hand and Sharif was silent. "You are powerful and without that annoying part of you no one liked. You are still useful to me."

Sharif was overjoyed.

"I have another idea instead."

* * *

Once again, Ichigo was back in his inner world. What was left of it, at least. Even more buildings had fallen and water was rising fast. Ichigo couldn't catch sight of his Hollow but he was too weak to look. He could feel himself slipping away again.

He shut his eyes.

When he opened them, he was back in his bedroom. A familiar and comforting place. His room looked slightly different from when he had seen it last.

There were pictures of teddy bears on the wall and children's drawing taped to the door of his closet. He didn't have a desk. In its place was a toy bin and a pile of coloring books. There were so many stuffed animals on the floor and a small child's red T-shirt on the floor near the toys.

Ichigo wasn't feeling well at all. His body was aching and he felt hot. His throat was scratchy and sore.

His father was sitting beside his bed flipping through a medical book in his lap. When Ichigo coughed, his father looked up and stroked his chest through the blanket. "It's ok, son. Easy does it, Ichigo. You'll be ok."

His mother was standing in the doorway with a concerned but amused look on her face. "What are you doing, honey? I thought you were giving him medicine."

"I am, I am..." His father read one of the pages in the book.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm trying to find out the best way to treat this."

His mother laughed and entered the room. "We have a clinic, silly. And you're going to tell me you have no idea how to diagnose our son?"

"It's different when it's strangers off the street. If I make a mistake with them, I don't know them that well. If I screw up with my only son..." He looked worried. "I just want to make sure I get this right."

"Does he have a fever?"

"No, no fever."

"Then there isn't too much you can screw up. He'll be fine."

His father looked worried. "It's just hard, you know. I've never seen him sick like this before. I'm his father. I'm worried about him."

"And I'm his mother. I worry, too, but he'll be fine. It's just a little cough and some soreness. Ichigo said he had a headache, so the best thing for him now is sleep."

"But what else can I do for him?" he asked her. "I wish I could make him better now."

"Time, my dear. Just hang in there." She smiled at her son. "You, too, Ichigo."

Ichigo coughed into the blanket. He nodded his head.

His father was still flipping through the book for answers.

"I'm pretty sure it's just a cough," his mother said.

"Yeah... Unless it's a tricky illness and could be much worse. What if it's not a cough at all and we foolishly think it is? We let our guard down and by the time we find out the truth of what it is, it's too late."

"Honey, you're scaring him."

Ichigo was worried. Was he going to get better? He felt awful.

"Sorry, son." His father patted his head. "You'll be fine. I'm just being worried for nothing. You know dads. Always freaking out over nothing. Your old man loves you which is why he worries so much. I don't like seeing you sick."

Ichigo heard his father's regular tone of voice and was reassured. There was nothing to worry about.

"Daddy's a scardy-pants," he said hoarsely. His giggling turned to coughing and he pulled the blanket up to his nose.

"Yeah, your daddy sure is."

"He sure is." His parents kissed and his mother started to leave the room. "Make sure he gets some rest. He needs some sleep to feel better."

"Sure thing. I'll just stay with him for a little while longer."

"Love you sweetie." His mother blew him a kiss. "Feel better." She went into the hallway to check on the babies in the next room.

"Ok, where were we?"

Ichigo watched his father read from the medical book in his lap again. Occasionally, he would look up to check on Ichigo. Sometimes, he would stroke Ichigo's head or rub his chest through the blanket and mutter reassuring words to him.

His father didn't leave for some time. Soon Ichigo grew tired and closed his eyes, listening to the sound of his father flipping through pages.

Ichigo opened his eyes and found himself back in his inner world. Not much had changed, leading him to believe that he had only been out a few short minutes.

"It happened again."

"What did?" came the voice of his Hollow. He was nearby but Ichigo couldn't turn his head to see where he was.

"I just fell back into a memory. I know it's my memory and not a dream." Ichigo sighed to the skyscraper above him. "I just want to know why this keeps happening. Why do I keep seeing clips from my past?"

His Hollow had a simple explanation. "They say before you die, your whole life flashes before your eyes."

"You think that's it?"

"We are dying, King. That serum is slowly killing us."

"Then why am I only seeing clips? One at a time?"

"Because it's a slow death. So your memories must be slow in coming as well. That's the way I see it."

Ichigo looked at the sky reflected in the skyscraper. He knew he must have blacked out again in the real world which was why he was here. He didn't want to pass out and become a Hollow again, but being here gave him relief from Mordere's abuse.

He couldn't even lift his hand to swing at him. He could only hang there limply and take it. Whatever Mordere chose to do, Ichigo was helpless to stop it from happening.

He never felt more miserable or weak in his life.

Frequently he wished he could go home and see his family and friends. Part of him wondered why he had such thoughts. He should have been thinking about other things, like ways to defeat the Quincies. Instead, he was thinking like a homesick child longing to see his family.

"What are you thinking about, King?"

"I want to go home."

"You're pathetic."

Ichigo shrugged. "I guess I am."

* * *

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	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter: 25**

Yagi had a new plan for Sharif and the others. A plan that had two main objectives. He had to separate the group and he had to get rid of Linnette. If there was even the slightest chance that she was the cause of whatever was happening with Sharif, the problem had to be dealt with as soon as possible.

He had planned on keeping Linnette around for a few reasons. She was the weakest in the group so everyone would rush to protect her which was a foolish move as far as he was concerned. It was hard to fight and defend at the same time. With everyone worrying about her, they couldn't concentrate on the fight, making them vulnerable. Her ability to control Hollows was a double-edge sword. Controlling Hollows could give them a new army. However, it could also send Ichigo into a rage, which Yagi wanted. It could also make the Vizard Captains hazy which would be beneficial in battle. If they wished to protect Linnette, then they may even be willing to sacrifice themselves in order to do it. Linnette's powers could work in his favor if he played his cards right.

It would be a shame to lose her, but if there was even the slightest chance she was causing Sharif problems, she had to go.

"Sharif, new plan." Yagi pointed. "Take her out first."

Sharif looked at the two girls standing close together. He couldn't tell who he was pointing at. "The Soul Reaper or the girl?"

"The girl. Take out Linnette."

Linnette was pulled behind Rukia. Rukia couldn't believe that Sharif would willingly attack Linnette. Surely, he would stop. Wouldn't he? Sharif was more complex so she couldn't be sure.

"Yes, sir." Sharif tossed Shinji aside and went after his new target.

They saw that Sharif wasn't stopping so Rukia grabbed Linnette and they ran. Sharif followed, taking swipes at them with his claws when he wasn't using them to run. He seemed to be faster on all fours. His deformed body needed all the help it could get.

"Why is he after me?" Linnette cried as they ran.

"Yagi must have figured that your powers are somehow messing with Sharif so he no longer wants you in the picture. He sees you as a threat."

While Linnette was pleased to learn that the enemy saw her as a force to be reckoned with, she hated being the target of their wrath. Being useful in a fight also made her someone who was targeted like other fighters.

Honestly, she didn't see much of a difference. If she was seen as weak, she was a target and if she was seen as strong, she was also targeted. There was no winning. Either way she would be in danger.

"Gotcha!" Sharif leaped over the girls to land in front of them, cutting them off.

Rukia stopped and made a sharp turn with Linnette holding her hand. Sharif cut them off again. "Some no mai, Tsukishiro!"

Sharif didn't bother dodging. He allowed himself to be encased in ice. This attack only bought the girls a few seconds. As soon as they started running in a different direction, Sharif broke through the ice and gave chase. Rukia told Linnette to run while she handled Sharif on her own. Though she knew it was dangerous to leave Linnette alone knowing full well that she was the target, Rukia thought she could have a better chance at fighting Sharif if she weren't running away. It would be easier to fight like this.

"Tusgi no mai, Hakuren!"

Sharif dodged and went after Linnette. Rukia wouldn't let him. She stepped into Sharif's path and thrust her sword forward. The blade sank into his calf. "Tusgi no mai, Hakuren!" The attack claimed his left leg. It was completely frozen and shattered like glass.

Sharif hobbled on his one good leg and looked down to assess the damage. His left leg was gone. Everything below the knee was missing.

Then a mass started to bubble from the wound and grew. The mass started to take shape and color. It was a new leg. His Hollow body could heal itself. He was given the gift of regeneration.

Sharif turned and beamed at his leader. With all these powers, he truly was unstoppable. It didn't matter how many limbs he lost. They would grow back. He had the perfect body.

Rukia already expected he would have this sort of power. Most Hollows did. She wondered if his human head would also possess the same ability. It was possibly the only way to kill him. She had to aim for his human parts.

Adjusting her sword, she jumped into the air and prepared another attack. "Tusgi no mai, Hakuren!"

The attack caused Sharif's left arm to freeze but her attack was meant as a distraction more than as something to cause damage. She planted her sword in Sharif's chest and stood on its hilt. Distracted by his frozen arm, Sharif wasn't expecting her to do something like this. He was unable to grab her with his arm frozen so he had to use his other arm instead. She grabbed onto his long hair and pulled herself onto his shoulder.

"Ouch! Get off!" He tried to grab her but his large arm wasn't easy to control in tight spaces. He clumsily scratched his own neck trying to grab onto her.

It was just as she thought. An arm that size wasn't easy to maneuver. Since it was about the length of his whole body, it was difficult if not impossible to bend it to reach something on his shoulder without accidentally touching himself in the process. Because he was moving so quickly, it was even easier for him to end up injuring himself.

Rukia saw the shallow gashes in his flesh and watched to see if they would heal as quickly as his severed leg. As it turned out, they did. Even his human body could heal with ease.

Sharif pulled the sword from his chest and tossed it aside. "You little..!" He reached over his head to grab Rukia. She jumped down to retrieve her sword. Sharif stomped on her as she landed, driving her into the earth. "Now for the girl..."

Linnette was still running. She didn't look back until she heard footsteps running up behind her. Sharif was on her heels, his arm out and ready to strike. His other arm flexed, breaking the ice surrounding it and used it for balance. Linnette couldn't get away. Sharif thrust his arm forward.

His claws made contact with a body but it wasn't Linnette's. It was Rojuro's.

Linnette's mouth fell open in horror. Sharif's claws were driven through his body and out his back.

"Rose!" Shinji screamed, finally catching up. "Rose!"

The Captain in Sharif's claws smiled, his quiet laughter causing blood to spill from his lips. "You two weren't quick enough so I had to do something." He looked over his shoulder at Linnette, his eyes glowing gold. "I couldn't let anything happen to my songbird."

From a distance, Yagi saw this and smiled. "I knew this would happen. Her voice is a double-edged sword. They will always protect her, no matter the cost. Even to themselves."

His plan was for the Captains to sacrifice themselves to save Linnette when their Hollows took over. He had many plans, but this was one he was pleased to watch happen before his eyes. It worked better than expected.

Rojuro put his hands on the claws cutting into his body and pushed them back. Sharif's claws eased out of his body and dripped blood onto the ground. Rojuro stepped back panting but still able to stand. His body turned slightly so Linnette could get a better look at him. His Captain's jacket had blocked most of her view when the strike occurred so she believed he had been impaled in a vital area. As it turned out, he took one of the claws in his right rib. The rest of the claws grazed his body. It wasn't through the chest like she thought.

"No matter the cost, even to my own life, I will make sure she lives," he told Sharif. "Like the host of this body, I, too, am a music lover. I cannot allow her song to end. Even if that means I must be silenced."

When it came to Linnette, his life did not matter. He felt that strongly towards her that he would gladly sacrifice himself for her.

"Now it's your turn," he said to Sharif. "Attacking my little songbird is unforgivable. You-"

"That's enough!" Linnette snapped. "I don't want you to sacrifice yourself for me. I want you to live. Even Rose. Find another way to protect me that doesn't involve you sacrificing yourself or anyone else."

Rojuro turned to her looking ashamed, like a child giving the result of a failed test to a parent. He didn't want her to be upset with him.

Then his eyes started to change and he fell backwards onto the ground.

"Rose!" Shinji knelt beside him, ignoring Sharif and Linnette. "You alright? Let me see..."

"I'm fine..." Rojuro said. "The other guy just took over for a second. I was out of it. Now I'm- Ow! What the hell happened to me? Did I get hurt or something? Why does my side hurt so bad?"

Because his Hollow was in control at the time, Rojuro had no idea he had been injured. He had no memory of what occurred during that time.

With Shinji's help, Rojuro sat up and they checked on his wound. He needed medical attention, but this was nothing he would die from. He was going to be fine.

Linnette backed away as Sharif came closer. With the others distracted and injured, Linnette was on her own and unprotected. He thought she would be easy to kill.

She backed away from him and pleaded with him for mercy. He thought it was pathetic. A young girl not yet ready to die, frightened of him and his power. How irritating.

Yet for some reason he didn't want to hurt her. Somehow it didn't seem right. It wasn't fair. Why did she have to die? She wasn't a Soul Reaper. They weren't after her. She wasn't the enemy. She didn't even live in the Seireitei. She was just a human. A human.

He didn't want to go through with it. He couldn't bring himself to do it. Something was holding him back.

Yagi had given him orders so he had to do it. He had to do as Yagi wished.

But hurting a girl? And a human no less. If she were a Soul Reaper, things would be different. Being a human meant she wasn't the enemy.

She was a threat, though. Yagi obviously thought so otherwise he wouldn't had ordered this. He had no choice but to kill her.

He didn't want to. She didn't deserve it. She hadn't done anything. She didn't have a sword or anything. She was just a weak human girl.

Why did he feel so conflicted? Something wasn't right. Why didn't he want to do this? He didn't know this girl. Why did she deserve any mercy? But an innocent girl? Really? Was he that heartless he could go up to anyone off the street and kill them just because Yagi asked him to? But she wasn't just anyone off the street. She was with the Soul Reapers. That made her an enemy. Anyone who sided with Soul Reapers became a target. That was how it worked. Plain and simple.

He stared at Linnette looking back at him with sad, fearful eyes. It was heart-wrenching. Like looking at a kitten. Did he really have to kill something so pitiful? She couldn't even fight back. But he still had his orders. His orders. Yagi had commanded him. He had to do it. Even if he didn't want to. But why didn't he want to?

"Damn it, I'm so confused," he muttered to himself. "Why is this so difficult for me? It's always been so easy. Yagi tells me to do something and I do it. Why is it suddenly so hard?"

"Because your heart's not in it."

Sharif jumped, hearing a voice inside his head. "Who... Who said that?"

"I did. Come on. You haven't forgotten about me already, have you? We've been together for a long time. Forever, really."

"That voice..." It sounded so familiar. It was female. "Wait... Is that..?"

It sounded like his voice only more feminine.

"Fufufufufu..!" came that laugh.

Sharif spun around and saw her. He saw himself. His other self. He was face-to-face with his other personality.

"How?" he asked. "How is this possible? Leader got rid of you."

"Oh, don't think you can get rid of me that easily."

"You cannot be here. I don't want you. No one does. You're the reason leader is upset with me half the time. He loves the real me but hates you. But us being the same..."

"He can't get rid of one without getting rid of the other. But that's just not possible. It's also not possible for me to leave just because I'm not wanted."

Sharif couldn't wrap his head around this. "Wait a minute. You only appear when I get hit in the head. That hasn't happened. So how can you be here?"

"Me? Here? Oh, don't you see? I'm always here. Always with you. Always in your head." His other self started laughing. "I'm inside of you. I am you. A part of you. There's no escaping me."

Sharif saw a white hand grab onto the collar of his shirt and watched his other self pull closer.

"Besides... I like it here. I've become quite attached."

Sharif leaned away. "But you weren't... You didn't show up. Even when I got hit in the head, you didn't show up. Leader told me you were gone. That I had become the ideal man who could serve him."

"But leader doesn't know everything. In fact, he didn't know that even if I wasn't where I usually am, that I would simply move somewhere else."

Sharif watched his other self lift their head and look him in the eyes. Gold and black eyes. His other self had the eyes of a Hollow.

"Ah!" Sharif pushed his other self back in surprise.

"Fufufufu! What do you expect?" she asked him. "Now that you have Hollow powers, this is to be expected. Don't be scared. I'm always with you. I'm always going to be with you. Just in a different way now, thanks to leader and his infinite wisdom."

Sharif found it hard to breathe. He backed away but wasn't getting any further from the white version of himself which had now become a Hollow.

"I don't understand," he panted. "How is this possible? How does this work? How can you be..?"

"Ask leader. Though I doubt he knows himself. You, or rather we, are just another experiment to him. He probably doesn't know the answers himself. He might not have a clue what's going on."

"Just bud out!" Sharif snapped. "Just stay away and leave me alone! Don't bother me! Don't interfere with me or anything I do. This is my body, I get to control it. Not you! Just leave me alone and don't do anything!"

"I can't let you do that. Not when you're going to hurt Linnette. I can't let that happen."

Sharif snarled, glaring at his other self. "So this is because of her. It is, isn't it? It's because of her voice!"

"Leader said it wouldn't work on you, but I happen to like it."

"So you're only acting this way and budding in because of her."

"Not exactly. While I happen to like the song, I'm still restless. And so are you."

"We're not the same person!"

"You just said we were."

"We're not!"

"Listen to me, Sharif. You are feeling conflicted. That only has a little to do with me. Most of it is you. You are having issues."

"You're my issue!" Sharif snapped.

"Just shut up and listen for once. What you're feeling only has a little to do with me. You are having these feelings and not because of me. Understand? So just forget about me for a second and focus on yourself. Why are you feeling this way? Why is this a problem? Why do you feel like something is wrong? It's not me doing it. It's you. So think. Figure it out."

Sharif didn't understand. He thought he was feeling conflicted because his other personality had become a Hollow and was now being controlled by Linnette. He didn't want to hurt her because his other self didn't want him to. That was the reason, wasn't it? His other self said that wasn't the case. Not completely. She only had a small part in this. Most of it was him.

What did that mean? Was he holding himself back? Why did he feel this way? What did he have to be conflicted about?

Yagi had ordered him to do something so he should do it. Was that why he was feeling this way? What did Yagi have to do with any of this?

"Just shut up and leave me alone!" Sharif snapped.

"Fine. Figure it out for yourself. Whatever actions you take in the next little while is your doing. Remember that. Don't blame it on me."

"I said to shut up!"

His other self was gone. That female personality that had become his inner Hollow was gone.

He was back where he was before. Right in front of Linnette.

What was that he experienced? He felt like he was inside his own mind. It was as if he had disappeared from this world and went somewhere else. What a feeling.

Now he was even more confused than before. He hated this feeling. The sooner he got rid of Linnette, the better.

He took another step towards her and Linnette retreated.

Knowing her voice wouldn't work on him, Linnette had to find another way out of this situation. The other Soul Reapers weren't able to help her at the moment. She doubted that Sharif would wait for them to catch up. She had to stall him somehow.

There was something bothering her. It was what Yagi had said before. About Sharif. She was curious so she wanted to ask, and asking could buy her some time.

"Just a second," she said to Sharif as she backed into a bolder half buried in the dirt. "Why me? Why are you after me? What did I do?"

"Leader gave me an order," said Sharif. "I have to do it. Orders are orders."

"But why would you listen to him? A guy like Yagi... He's mean."

"No, he isn't."

"Yes, he is!" insisted Linnette. "He locked you in a cell with Ichigo and left you to die."

Sharif hesitated. She had a point. Yagi did lock him in a cage with a rabid Hollow. He was willing to sacrifice him to Ichigo. Just to test his maliciousness.

"I, uh..." Sharif remained devoted to Yagi. "That was just because he had to run some tests on Ichigo. See if he could kill..."

"He was willing to let you die. How fair is that?"

"It wasn't me. He likes me. It was the other personality he wanted to get rid of. Because we share a body..."

"That's no reason to kill someone. So what if you have faults? If he likes you, then they don't matter. He's just being cruel."

Sharif shook his head. "He is not. He rebuilt me. He gave me a new body. Gave me Hollow parts and powers. He made me stronger. He saved me. He didn't let me die in that cell."

"But didn't he see that you were alive by accident? He didn't even know you were still alive until after they took Ichigo out of the cage. He never bothered to rescue you. It happened by chance. For all he knew you were dead."

Sharif paused again. She was right. Yagi didn't save him on purpose. He found out he was still alive after everything was done. He discovered his mangled body purely by chance. He expected him to be dead. Yagi wanted him dead.

"He... He didn't want me dead. He just wanted to test and see if Ichigo could do it."

"He was still willing to sacrifice you," said Linnette. "He took a huge chance. If he really cared, he would have found another way to test it other than sacrificing you. He could have used another Hollow or a rat or something. Instead he picked you. Why are you loyal to someone like that? Someone who willingly risked your life knowing you would most likely die?"

She was right. Yagi all but said that Sharif would die. He did want him to die. All because of his other personality? Was it that much of a liability? That much of a pain? Sharif hated it, too, but he never tried to kill himself.

Yagi was leading them into battle against the Soul Reapers. They had a goal in mind. Sharif was helping them achieve that goal. Yagi even said that he was a great help and one of his strongest men.

"I'm one of them," said Sharif with confidence. "I am a Quincy. And so are they. Of course I would side with them. No matter what, I am a Quincy and I belong with my own kind. Our leader is a good man."

"A man who willingly tried to kill you. Your own kind doesn't sound like they're very good to you."

"You don't know what you're talking about. He is a good man. He still saved my life. He gave me a new body and blessed me with power."

"Power from a Hollow." Linnette gave Sharif a worried look. "Don't Quincies kill Hollows? What's going to happen to you? What will Yagi do?"

Sharif hadn't thought about that. They hated Hollows. If he had become a Hollow, then there was a problem. What would happen to him next?

"Face it, Sharif," said Linnette. "That body he gave you was part of another experiment. Even he didn't know what would happen to you. He just didn't want you to go to waste. That's how Yagi thinks. He saw that you were alive. The only reason he didn't finish you off was because he saw his chance to try something else. He wanted to use you as part of another experiment. He didn't save you because he cared. He did it to see what would happen to you. He's using you."

Sharif refused to believe it. "No. No, he saved me! He could have let me die but he didn't. He allowed me to live."

"He 'allowed' you?"

Sharif froze at his own words. He lived under Yagi's command. He obeyed his every whim and remained loyal to him no matter what. Sharif and the others weren't able to do anything without his permission. Even his own cousin was too afraid to do anything. He couldn't even speak the way he normally did because it annoyed Yagi. If anyone displeased him, it was punishable by death.

This was the man he was following? His wonderful leader and good man? Yagi was even willing to let innocent people die at Ichigo's hands just to flush out the Soul Reapers. They didn't have anything to do with this, yet Yagi made them targets. Sharif and the others had no quarrel with the innocent. No anger, no hate, no vengeful thinking. They were innocent.

Locking him up in that cell with Ichigo was just another example of how little Yagi cared. He didn't even look sorry when he locked the door and told Sharif 'good-bye' and left him for dead. Yagi didn't even say it was just a test. He said that he intended for Ichigo to kill him. Yagi truly thought that Sharif would die. It wasn't a test. It was murder.

Why on earth was Sharif defending a man like that? He had convinced himself that everything Yagi did was for the greater good. The good of them and all Quincies. If that were the case, then why was he willingly killing his fellow men?

He didn't give Sharif these parts to save his life. He just didn't want his mangled body to go to waste. He wanted to see if he could make something out of his failed plans. Sharif was just another experiment, like Linnette said. This body wasn't crafted out of love. It was out of curiosity and disappointment. Yagi was just making a new dish out of a ruined one. Like dropping food on the floor but instead of throwing it out, he gave it to the dog. Was that all Sharif was to him? Just something that could be used as something else when something didn't go right? Just a waste?

Come to think of it, Yagi did this sort of thing all the time. He never cared about him or any of them. Yagi was selfish. When something didn't work, he did something else, even if it meant hurting someone. Yagi even used the Hollow serum on innocent people to make sure he had it right for Ichigo. The people he used weren't Soul Reapers. They were innocent people walking down the street. Most of them had families. Yagi didn't care who he did it to. He didn't discriminate. Everyone was fair game. Human, Quincy, Hollow... It didn't matter. He would do this to anyone.

Even his own men. Those loyal to him.

Sharif looked down at his claws. He wasn't saved. He was a monster. Yagi used him once again. This new body wasn't from the goodness of his heart or given to him out of kindness and love. It was an experiment. He was an experiment. Something to be tampered with. Now he was deformed. This wasn't kindness. This wasn't love. This wasn't saving. This was sick. Just a madman piecing things together to see if it would function. Yagi didn't even care if it did work, or what the results would be or what they meant for Sharif. Would he live in pain for the rest of his life? Would this shorten his life? Yagi didn't know or care.

Why the hell was he loyal to a man like that?

"Do it, Sharif."

He could hear his leader calling to him.

"Attack."

Sharif was a Quincy. Therefore, he should side with other Quncies. He had known Yagi for years. He had always followed him. He was still alive thanks to Yagi's experimentation. He was grateful for that, even if it wasn't done out of kindness but rather curiosity. On the other hand, it did make him a monster. Sharif wasn't thankful for that.

"Attack now, Sharif," Yagi ordered.

Sharif stood tall and took in a breath.

Linnette coward.

Killing an innocent girl who didn't even possess a weapon would be easy. Yagi's orders were absolute. Sharif had to trust his gut. He always had and always will. His gut knew what was right.

Sharif turned his head and fired a cero at Yagi.

Yagi jumped out of the way to avoid it. "What the hell are you thinking?"

Roaring with anger, Sharif turned away from Linnette and went after Yagi instead. He slashed at him with his claws and snapped at him with his teeth. Sharif's head wasn't Hollow so he was snapping at Yagi with his human teeth. He was doing what felt right. Attacking Yagi felt right. His fury allowed him to give in to his urges and behaved more like a monster. He didn't care how he looked. He just wanted to rip into his former leader.

He was never going to follow another order Yagi gave to him. This was the end of their alliance. Now Yagi was his enemy.

"What are you doing, you fool?" Yagi snapped.

"You left me in a cage to die! You attack innocent people! You turned me into a monster! Why the hell should I listen to you ever again?!"

Yagi stopped Sharif's claws with his bare hand. "Because I am your leader."

"Not anymore! I quit!" Sharif pulled his arm back, taking Yagi along for the ride. "Why would I remain loyal to a man like you? You tried to have me killed!"

"You should be grateful. Once I found out you were still alive, I saved you and gave you new powers."

"Powers I'm going to use against you!" Sharif tried to punch Yagi but he vanished. "Was this an afterthought? You never expected me to survive, did you? So I became your next experiment. Was that it?"

Yagi appeared behind him. "Next time, I'll remove your brain so you won't have this rebellion in you." He summoned his bow. "What good are followers who don't listen to you? Your job is to follow my every command without question. Using your strength and having you work for me was all you were ever good for. Why do you think I kept you around for so long? It wasn't because I liked you. It was for your strength. That was the only reason you were even tolerated around here. If you had no ability, I would have killed you a long time ago or ditched you somewhere else. I would have never had you come along."

Snarling, Sharif came at him again. "I'll kill you!"

The truth came out. Yagi truly did not care about any of them. All he wanted was their loyalty and power. That was all they were good for.

"Linnette!" Rukia rushed to her side. "Are you ok?"

"Yeah. Are you?"

"I'm fine." Rukia looked at the quarreling Quincies. Sharif was attacking Yagi with words and claws. He was really angry. "Did you tell him to do that?"

Linnette shook her head. "No. He's doing that on his own. I just asked him why he was loyal to someone who tried to kill him."

"Glad to see this guy finally woke up." There was no sense in being loyal to someone who didn't care about his followers. "While they're distracted, we have to go after Ichigo. Come on."

"We're coming, too." Shinji had Rojuro slung over his shoulder. "Rose says he's good to go but I don't believe him. In any case, we can't leave him here with those two going at it."

"Then what do you plan on doing with me if there's another fight?" he asked Shinji. "You'll have to put me down on another battlefield. You haven't thought this through, have you?"

"It's a work in progress. Let's get a move on before those two notice."

* * *

Back at the Seireitei, the lock-down was still holding strong. The Soul Reapers on watch duty were bored pacing the gate they were assigned to, but were also very concerned. The feared another attack but they were equally worried about the Soul Reapers on the other side of the wall. Most of them wondered if they were still alive.

After Kensei had returned, they had become hopeful that others would also return. They were still missing two Captains and a Lieutenant. If they returned, they were most likely injured. They would have to help them to the sickbay as soon as possible.

"The sickbay is full of already injured Soul Reapers. Can Squad 4 really handle anymore?"

"Oh, please. It's light compared to past events. This is nothing to them. Trust me."

"I'm really worried."

"Don't be. If there's another attack, we'll be ready. And if injured men should return, we'll help them. We were put on watch duty because they knew we could handle it."

"Or because no one else would do it..."

"Enough of that talk. Everything's fine. The Captains know what they're doing. With the lock-down in place, no one is getting in or out without anyone knowing it. If the enemy even tries to come in this time, they won't get very far. We'll be ready for them. We'll get the jump on them and end it before it begins."

The gate started to open behind them. Expecting to see the Captains, the men came forward. Whoever was coming in was most likely injured. They might be in need of help.

Most of them didn't think to pick up their weapons because the gatekeeper would only open the gate if it were someone they knew, like a Soul Reaper. If it were an enemy, the gate would not have been opened.

The gate slowly rose and the Soul Reapers stood by to assist.

A red whip snapped the air and struck one of the awaiting Soul Reapers in the chest. The whip curved around and struck the other men standing by. They cried out and toppled over. Blood was drawn from their wounds and floated into the air.

Two Quincies stepped inside the Seireitei.

"Ah, yeah, baby. Could these Soul Reapers be any stupider?"

"I wish you would stop calling me 'baby'. It's depressing."

Zalya turned to his companion. "Who says I'm calling you that? You gotta lighten up, Yaku. You're the depressing one."

Yaku sighed, caressing the edge of his beloved mirror with his thumb. "It is depressing. Leader sent us here to the Seireitei knowing this is Ichigo Kurosaki's target. He is meant to attack the Seireitei. If we're here, we're going to be in the line of fire. We'll be attacked as well. How depressing."

"Ichigo's taking his sweet-ass time getting here. At this rate, he'll die before he makes it to the gates. It's up to us to get a move on this thing, baby."

Yaku observed the wound on Zalya's arm between his wrist and elbow. The cut wasn't deep but it was enough to make him feel queasy. "Please cover up that wound of yours, Zalya. It's depressing."

"So the sight of blood bothers you, too?"

"The sight of blood is depressing. It's a sign of death and pain."

Zalya laughed and pulled his sleeve over the cut to hide it. His sleeve then folded into the gloves he wore on his hands. In battle, he removed the gloves on his arms so he could cut into his flesh without causing damage to his clothing, but sometimes he forgot. This time, he thought he would keep them on. Sometimes his sleeves would absorb the blood or it would pool into his gloves which he could use later in battle.

"Blood also means life, baby. Give and take."

Yaku sighed. "Even so, I can't help but think leader was wrong to send us here with Ichigo still alive. It's asking for trouble."

"You worry too much."

They looked up, hearing running footsteps. A group of Soul Reapers appeared, noticing that the gate had been opened and had just closed. Thinking there were injured Soul Reapers returning, they came to help. Seeing the enemy at their front step, they quickly got into a fighting stance.

"Stop right there! You're not taking another step in here without a fight."

"I got this," said Yaku.

Zalya lowered the blood bubbling like a lava lamp in his hand.

Yaku held up his mirror, catching the reflections of the Soul Reapers. "Negative Image."

The Soul Reapers slumped to the ground, no longer having the will to fight. They lay on the ground, too depressed to move.

"Guess they don't have any fight left in them." Zalya smirked and turned to the rest of the Seireitei. "Well, let's get this started, baby. It's time to show these Soul Reapers we mean business."

"It is not that we make them look weak. They are weak. We're just showing them how much. How depressing."

* * *

Everywhere is a battlefield!

They're back!

Please review! ^-^


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter: 26**

The two Quincies turned enemy fought mercilessly, sending attack after attack at each other. One fired arrows and the other shot a cero. Then to combat the arrows, Sharif lifted his arm to try doing the same. A bow appeared and he fired a folly at his former leader's arrows. They canceled out but there was no time to rest. Yagi was still on the move. Just like Sharif's fighting style, he didn't stay in the same place for long once someone knew his location. They were constantly moving.

"What of me when this was over?" asked Sharif. "I am a Hollow now. Part of me, at least. We kill Hollows. What would you have done with me when this was over?"

"Truth?" came Yagi's voice behind him. "I haven't decided yet."

"Would you have killed me?"

"Possibly."

Sharif fired over his shoulder at Yagi who dodged. "You gave me this power. I'm not this way by choice. And you would kill me for what you had me become? For what you did to me?"

"I was never certain you would survive at all. I expected you to be dead after Ichigo was through with you."

"So me being alive was pure luck. You did intend to kill me. I knew it. You didn't do this out of the goodness of your heart. You just didn't want to waste any parts. You never stepped in to stop Ichigo, even if you knew he was going to finish me off. You're heartless."

"Oh, don't call names, Sharif. I already explained why I did what I did. You're still alive, aren't you? Who do you have to thank for that?"

"You tried to kill me! You just happened upon me! You didn't save me! I'm just a torn piece of clothing you turned into a rag to clean something. This is not kindness! This is you being... You! Stop trying to talk your way out of this. You really don't care at all about any of us, do you? We're just being used. Every single one of us."

Yagi stopped and stood in front of Sharif. "Of course I'm using you. That is the role of subordinates. You do as I say. That is the relationship. You are merely tools that I must use to get what I want. I give you a command and you do it. If you are broken, why should I keep you? I discard you and get something better to do the job."

Sharif snarled and ran forward. He threw his arm forward to slash Yagi but his attack was stopped with Yagi's bare hand.

"And what good is a tool that doesn't do as you wish?"

The heel of Yagi's right foot sank into his stomach, sending him flying backward. Sharif stood up and rushed forward in another attack.

"The only reason any of you are here is because I have use of you. Do you really think I give a damn about you? Of course not. If I could find someone else who was strong and willing to do as I say, they would be your replacement. As strong as I am, I cannot do this task alone. There are too many risks. It's a dangerous job. Why would I risk my life when I could send you in my place?"

"So that's your play," said Sharif quietly. "If there is the slightest chance of someone getting hurt, you send someone in your place. That way we are the ones getting hurt and you remain safe."

"What was that I always say? Better you than me. Isn't that it?"

"Yeah. Something like that."

Sharif jumped as high as he could and back down. He was falling at a tremendous speed towards Yagi. His claws pointed straight down.

The crash sent a tremor out from the point of impact, stretching for miles. Sharif climbed out of the divot, knowing he missed his target. He looked around for Yagi, intending to kill him.

It wasn't just him who was expendable. The others were as well. Mordere, Yaku, even his cousin Zalya. They were all on the chopping block. They were being used and if anything happened to them, Yagi would not bother to save them. He would never risk is own life. He would rather sacrifice others in his place. Yagi always chose the safest road. He was determined not to die.

An arrow sank into Sharif's shoulder. He turned around and spotted Yagi ready with another arrow aimed at his head. Sharif jumped aside and charged. He kept his body close to the ground as he ran. This new body made it harder to fight like his usual self, but as long as he landed a hit, he didn't care about the difference.

Yagi saw him coming and switched to another weapon.

Sharif swung his arm down but from his elbow where his arm had been came a fountain of blood. "Gah!" Sharif covered the exposed cross section of his forearm with his left hand. His flesh began to bubble and take shape. His arm grew back, perfectly functional. There wasn't even a scar to indicate anything had happened.

Sharif hoped Yagi regretted giving him this new body to operate. He was going to use it and its power to crush him. This body would heal a million times over no matter what came his way. He was strong and powerful. It would allow him to fight Yagi with ease.

He knew all too well how Yagi became the leader. He was stronger and smarter than the rest of them. The proof of his power was in that kick that sent Sharif flying and the fact that he could stop his attacks with his bare hands. Yagi was powerful and shouldn't be taken lightly. Having this Hollow body would make fighting him easier but Sharif knew better than to get cocky. Killing Yagi would not be easy, but this power gave him a better chance.

Yagi watched the regeneration occur without blinking. He then turned his gaze up at Sharif's face and frowned. It seemed he knew it would not be easy to kill Sharif either. Unlike him, Yagi could not regenerate. If he sustained an injury, it would take time to heal and if he lost a limb, it would not grow back.

"In more ways than one, you have become so troublesome, Sharif."

Sharif exhaled sharply.

They jumped back from each other to attack at a distance. Arrow met cero and there was an explosion in the air. Sharif did not wait for the smoke to clear, running to the right and then into the cloud. When he emerged, Yagi was no longer there. Sharif spun around and felt something sharp sink into his abdomen. Yagi stood on the other side of that weapon and pressed it in further.

"To be honest, I wasn't even sure you would last," said Yagi. "I wasn't sure giving you Hollow parts would work. Everything about this is a mystery, even to me. I didn't think you would survive. I thought attempting such a thing would kill you. Even shorten your life."

Blood oozed from Sharif's mouth.

"Of course, so does a blade in your gut." Yagi ripped his weapon from Sharif and splattered the ground with his blood.

Sharif looked down at his wound. It was painful but the flow of blood was starting to slow. Even the pain was starting to subside. He was healing.

"Let's see what happens when I attack the part of you that's still human." Yagi flashed away and appeared behind Sharif.

His blade slid between Sharif's vertebrae and exited just below his ribs. Yagi pulled his weapon free and retreated.

This didn't feel right. It was painful, but it wasn't like his other injuries. Sharif staggered and fell to his knees. The blood wasn't stopping. His body wasn't healing this time.

Yagi stood above him and watched.

His image started to fade and blur. Sharif felt weak and tired.

Yagi put his foot on Sharif's shoulder and pushed him over onto his side. Sharif didn't get up. He lay where he was, staring up at Yagi with pitiful eyes. Yagi put away his weapon, turned and walked away.

"Now where did those Soul Reapers get to?" He had to catch up to them before they overwhelmed Mordere. He had done enough waiting. It was time to bring Ichigo directly to the Seireitei and let him loose.

Seeing the Seireitei awash in Soul Reaper blood had always been a dream of his which he longed to have become reality. Hopefully soon, it would happen. He didn't care how many bodies he had to walk over to do it.

* * *

"Get up. Get up!"

Ichigo could hear Mordere's voice but it sounded far away. Everything was dark.

"Five minutes of you in that state is far too little. Change again and this time have it go longer."

Ichigo wished he would stop.

"Stop resisting. On your feet and walk, damn you! Stop making me drag you everywhere."

He never felt so tired before. So drained.

"On you feet!"

He couldn't feel anything. Not even his body. He didn't know if he was moving or not. He didn't know what was happening. Everything was dark. He was numb.

For a while, Mordere was quiet. He could hear something happening around him but he couldn't identify the noise. Mordere was talking to someone but Ichigo couldn't make out a voice or understand what anyone was saying.

Mordere looked over at Ichigo's body and then back at the girl blocking his path. He lifted his arm to fire an arrow but someone else appeared and took a swing at his wrist. He pulled his arm back to avoid having it chopped off.

"I got this guy. You take care of Ichigo," said Shinji.

Rukia ran to Ichigo's side and tried to drag him away from the fighting. They didn't get very far and not because of the weight of his listless body. It was his heat. Ichigo's skin was on fire. Rukia feared this high a fever would be fatal. She didn't have a cloth on her but she still had the canteen of water, or what little was left of it. She took it out, unscrewed the cap and poured a little on Ichigo's face. He moaned but didn't open his eyes.

"Ichigo, hang in there." Rukia poured some water into his mouth. Ichigo coughed and turned his head away. He wouldn't drink. "Come on, Ichigo. Come on."

She finally managed to get a little into his mouth without him spitting it out. He swallowed and coughed again. Rukia put the cap back on the bottle to save the rest for later. There wasn't much left.

Ichigo opened his eyes and looked at Rukia. He smiled weakly, happy to see her. "Rukia..."

"Hang in there, Ichigo. You're going to be fine."

"Know what?" he whispered hoarsely. "I just remembered something from when I was a kid... I was sick one time and my dad was too afraid to treat me because he was afraid of making a mistake. He was worried about making me worse. He was scared seeing me sick like that. He doesn't do that stuff anymore. He has his own way of doing things now so sometimes I forget how much he cares about me. My dad loves me... so he..."

Rukia put her hand on his forehead. "You're burning up." Out of desperation, Rukia used her sword to create a small sheet of ice. She chipped a block of it off and placed it against Ichigo's forehead where it already started to melt. Ichigo's fever was so high, the ice was melting on contact. She could only pray this would bring it down.

"Dad... he's weird but he loves me... When I was little he acted different from now... I just remembered about when I was sick once..."

"Stop talking, Ichigo." She hand to hold the ice to his forehead with her bare hand. It kept melting and sliding off his skin. "The fever's making you delusional."

Ichigo blinked some of the melting ice out of his eyes. "Not as much as you would think. I did remember that memory..." Now he was starting to hear how he sounded. No wonder Rukia thought he was spouting nonsense. He tried to refrain from speaking until his fever was brought down a little. The only issue he had with that was the idea that talking helped him remain conscious. He was afraid he would black out again and become a Hollow.

Rukia tossed the ice in her hand aside and broke off another chunk. The one in her hand had shrunk to the size of a pencil and was getting thinner. Hopefully this thicker chunk would last a little longer. Getting another idea, Rukia dragged Ichigo's body over to the sheet of ice, hoping this would help bring down his fever as well. She had to make him as cold as possible.

Shinji was sent flying into the air and landed on the ground near Rojuro and Linnette. Mordere stood tall and turned to Rukia.

"That stubborn mock Soul Reaper brought this on himself. He's so weak and yet he refuses to let that Hollow take control again. At this rate, he'll die before reaching the Seireitei."

Rukia was afraid of this. She knew Ichigo was getting weaker. How much longer did he have?

"By all means, try helping him. Maybe he'll last a little longer. Maybe we'll actually make it."

By reducing his fever, Ichigo was given more time to live. However, that also meant the enemy could use him for their dark purpose. If he lived, it was both good news and bad news. If they allowed him to die, then the enemy's plan fell apart. However, no one wanted Ichigo to die. Except for the enemy because they would be rid of a powerful adversary, but only when the time was right.

What should she do? What could she do?

Mordere stepped closer.

Rukia put her hand on her sword. She didn't want to leave Ichigo's side but she may have to defend herself and take down the Quincy. She may not have a choice. Though Ichigo still needed her, if she didn't do something, no one would be able to help him.

"It's time for me to finish what I started with you, girl." Mordere raised his arm and pointed it at her chest. "I get to pay you back for our fight in the Seireitei from before. If you insist on-"

In an instant, Mordere was gone. He was caught in an explosion from the side. He took the hit on his right side and was blasted away.

Rukia realized what had happened. Mordere was attacked with a cero. She turned to her left to see who had fired it.

Standing several yards away was Veneno.

"You run your damn mouth too much, Quincy!"

Rukia was so relieved to see him. He was slightly battered but otherwise alright.

Veneno ran the distance to Ichigo and knelt down at his side, right next to Rukia. "Ichigo. Ichigo, you ok? Hang in there."

Ichigo looked up at him but wasn't able to do much else. He couldn't move his body. "Veneno. Good to see you."

Veneno smiled. "I got you a present." Veneno lifted something up and held it in both hands, smiling bright.

"My sword..." Ichigo couldn't see the whole thing from his position. His sword was so big, he was only able to see the handle and part of the blade. "Last time I had it... it was with Yagi at their hideout."

Veneno nodded. "I picked it up for you. They had it mounted on the wall like some trophy. But that's not where it belongs. It belongs with you."

Ichigo couldn't take his sword. His body still wouldn't move. No matter how much he wanted to, he couldn't take it back.

"Here." Veneno gingerly placed the sword at Ichigo's side. He took Ichigo's hand and placed it over the handle so it looked like Ichigo was holding it. "It's yours. Back where it belongs."

This was its rightful place. Right at Ichigo's side.

Ichigo's numb fingers could barely feel the handle of his weapon but it was there. He could feel it. Somehow, having his sword returned to him made him feel stronger. Some of his strength was returning.

"Heads up!" Linnette warned.

They turned in the same direction. Mordere was on his feet again. After taking a direct hit from a cero, his clothing was torn and smoking and charred but he was still able to stand. His Mohawk had been reduced to a close shave in parts and had a new color. His colorful hair had been charred gray and black.

He looked furious. "You..!" he snarled at Veneno. "I hoped you were crushed to death in our hideout. After the way you had at it, I figured you were buried alive in it."

Veneno wasn't looking at him. He was looking at Ichigo's legs. The hems of his hakama were torn and frayed. His sandals were worn and bloody. His heels and ankles were also bloody and scratched and covered with dirt. Veneno stood and looked at the ground. There were twin trails of blood in the dirt leading to where Ichigo lay. The line of blood stretched toward the horizon.

"Hey, Arran-crap!" snapped Mordere. "I'm talking to you, you piece of filth!"

Veneno finally acknowledged him. "Did you drag Ichigo here? Against his will?"

"He wouldn't walk no matter how many times I shoved him or threw him. I dragged him all the way this far."

Veneno looked at the scratches on Ichigo's nose and chin and forehead. There were lines on the side of his neck where his collar cut him raw. All the evidence was there.

"I see." Veneno nodded his head.

"It's his own fault for not walking when I ordered him to."

"And are you his master?" Veneno asked. "Does he have to answer to you?"

"He does when we have use of him."

"Use?" Veneno's fists were starting to shake. "As if experimenting on him wasn't bad enough, now you do this?" It made him sick. "I will never forgive you."

Mordere laughed. "And who is asking for that? Like I would apologize for something like this. Ichigo deserves it for-"

In an instant, Veneno was in Mordere's face and punched him. His speed was incredible. Mordere was blown off his feet and landed in the dirt. He pressed a hand of his sore cheek.

"He deserves nothing like this!" Veneno bellowed. "Treating any of my friends this way is unforgivable!"

"Friends? You're an Arrancar! You don't have any friends!"

"Thanks to Ichigo, I do." Veneno stood his ground, ready to fight. "And I'll be damned if I let you take any of them away from me!"

Mordere was on his feet again, but as soon as he was, Veneno punched him again. Mordere staggered back. Veneno threw another punch which Mordere caught. "You're asking for it!" Mordere threw him back and delivered a punch of his own. Veneno took the hit on his cheek and retaliated.

"That's enough."

Mordere and Veneno stopped. They turned.

Yagi was standing nearby, watching. "Is this really as far as Ichigo got?" he scoffed, unimpressed.

"Leader, I'm sorry," said Mordere. "He changed once or twice and then these Soul Reapers and this-"

"Enough, Mordere." Yagi turned to Veneno. "I'm not at all surprised to see you again. Accroding to your file, you're not only able to turn people into Hollows, but you are also able to clone yourself. I had a feeling I would be seeing you again."

Veneno snarled at him, showing his teeth.

"Mordere," said Yagi. "We're getting closer to the Seireitei. Please show Ichigo the way."

"Understood."

Veneno blocked his path. "I won't let you."

Mordere stood his full height, toe-to-toe with the shorter Arrancar. "Stand aside."

"Make me."

"With pleasure."

"Mordere..." Yagi said in a warning tone. He then spoke to Veneno. "Are you forgetting someone? I'm here, too. Are you really suggesting you'll stop both of us from reaching Ichigo?"

"I'm saying I'll stop you."

Yagi chuckled. "In case you haven't noticed, you're outmatched. Not just outnumbered but out-skilled. You have two Soul Reaper Captains down, a little human girl, Ichigo who is in no shape to offer assistance and another Soul Reaper who must protect him since he cannot protect himself. Face it. You're the only one who is still able to fight who isn't guarding Ichigo. You against two powerful Quincies. You don't stand a chance. You didn't the last time you faced two of us."

Veneno remembered that fight. Since there were two of them, he had to make sure he didn't lose sight of either one. The second he did, he was attacked from behind. Thanks to that fight, he had learned some of their fighting styles. The blood-user wasn't here for this fight, but the other one he fought was. He and Kensei couldn't win against him even fighting together. To make matters worse, this time he was fighting with his own body, not a clone. If he made a mistake here, it was all over. This fight was for real. No tests and no do-overs.

These men were strong. He couldn't take them lightly. Taking them both on alone would be difficult. He couldn't even win against one when he had help.

"You're right. I don't stand a chance on my own against you guys."

Yagi smirked. "The first wise thing you've said. So why don't you stand aside and let us-"

"You didn't let me finish."

Yagi frowned, taken aback.

Veneno kept his eyes on the ground, his head tilted forward. To Yagi, it looked like a man in despair. Perhaps he was reading him wrong. This could have been a man in thought.

Veneno lifted his head to look at both Yagi and Mordere. "I was saying I don't stand a chance against you guys on my own. Not like this." He put a hand on his sword. "So I'll just have to become stronger."

Stronger than he was right now.

Drawing his sword, Veneno held it in front of his body. He turned the sword to the side and placed his palm against the smooth side of his weapon while the other held it in place. Immediately, the air began to change.

"Infect, Peste!"

He plunged the tip of his sword into his stomach and ripped it across to one side. Light shone from the wound and engulfed him. A powerful gust of wind stirred up dirt which pelted anyone nearby like a sandstorm. Rukia threw herself over Ichigo to protect him and Linnette turned her back to the powerful gust, hiding between the down Captains. Veneno sliced the air in two, giving them the prefect view of his new form.

What stood before them now was a giant scorpion. His arms had become pincers and his torso was mounted on a carapace with six legs, sharp and powerful like daggers. He hoisted his tail up and let his stinger flick the air as if it were counting his prey.

This was his release. His Resurreccion.

Veneno huffed like an angry bull ready to charge. His bare chest heaved, building and preparing for a fight. Ready to unleash his rage. He faced the two Quincies and breathed blood-lust through his teeth.

"You're going to regret everything you've done... I don't care how powerful you are, I'm stronger." Veneno took a step closer and snapped the air with his pincers. "I'm going to make you pay for everything you've done!"

"Big talk coming from an over-sized arachnid," scoffed Mordere. "Two of us and one of you. Not good odds."

"Let the Arrancar think what it wants," said Yagi in a snide tone. "Now he just looks like the beast he is."

That remark made Yagi Veneno's prime target.

"I'll put you in the ground myself!" Veneno charged. "You stinking Quincy piece of crap!"

* * *

To the attacking Quincy, taking over the Seireitei was going to be a breeze. He had already managed to kill two and several others were mortally wounded. Zalya zipped through the streets, attacking anyone in his sights. He didn't bother waiting to make sure they were dead. His goal was to take out as many Soul Reapers as possible. Due to their injuries, they would be unable to keep fighting, but if killing them was a main objective, he could always go back to finish them off. It wasn't like they were going anywhere.

"Yeah, baby! This is a cakewalk. These Soul Reapers don't know what hit them. They think we're making them look weak but that's not the case. They are weak and we're just showing them how much."

"I just said that exact thing two minutes ago," said Yaku. "You don't listen to me at all, do you? How depressing."

"Maybe if you spoke up once in a while..." Zalya spotted a Soul Reaper on a rooftop and slice him across the chest with his blood. The Soul Reaper fell and Zalya celebrated by performing a solo on his air guitar. "Yeah, baby! Yeah, yeah!"

Yaku hung his head. "Even if we are so much stronger, I think it would be best to attack them quietly. Sneak about and get them by surprise. You would waste less energy. Besides, our goal is to take them out."

"And we can do that any way we please. I chose this way."

"True, but taking them out and fighting them are two different things. As easy as this is, I still say doing it quietly without a big show and calling attention to your location would be best."

"You're only saying that because you have no stamina for a real fight. You just stand there and wave your mirror around."

Yaku looked down at his mirror. "I do not wave it. But you are right. There is no need for me to run around like a maniac when I have this."

"It wasn't meant as praise, baby."

Several more Soul Reapers appeared, surrounding the two Quincies. They all had their weapons drawn and were ready to strike. When they saw the blood coiled around Zalya's arm, they knew he was the blood-user they had heard rumors about. He would be tricky to defeat, but his partner looked easy by comparison.

"Oh, please," Zalya scoffed, amused.

"Just more targets," added Yaku.

"They don't stand a chance."

The Soul Reapers were gathered on the rooftops and in the street. There were thirty of them in total. Believing they had a good chance, they decided to attack as a team. Some would act as a distraction while most of their attacks were aimed at the Quincy holding the mirror. Once they took him out, the blood-user would be next. They had better odds taking one out at a time.

"Take them out!" yelled one of the men.

"Fat chance." Zalya snapped his fingers.

From the rooftops, Soul Reapers began to drop like flies, their bodies cut open by the blood sneaking up the building from behind. They were too busy looking in front of them to notice the blood behind them. They were under the impression that the blood coiled around Zalya's arm was all the blood he had. Never did they consider the possibility of there being blood elsewhere he could control.

"Negative Image." Yaku pointed his mirror at the Soul Reapers gathered on the ground and sucked them dry. They fell to the ground and lay unmoving. "That took all of ten seconds. How depressing."

"Told you this would be easy." With a flick of his wrist, Zalya took down the remaining Soul Reapers who were trying to hide. "I don't even know why you were sent with me. I could do this all by myself. I'm certainly powerful enough, baby."

"It is true. You are strong. That power of yours is something else."

Zalya wove the blood to spell 'thanks' in the space above his head. "I know, right? I could be a leader myself."

"Based on power, yes, you could," said Yaku. "But you are not smart enough to make a good leader. You are too stupid."

The blood wrapped around Yaku's shoulder and pulled him closer to Zalya. "What was that?"

"I am just saying that you are not that bright, Zalya. That's all. I am not trying to insult you. I am just stating facts."

"Pretty big talk coming from a guy I can easily bisect with a flick of my wrist."

Yaku was unafraid. "If you resent that, then I suppose you could have come up with that Hollow serum, yes?"

Zalya frowned. "Technically, leader stole that from the guy who invented it first."

"Shortcut. But he did perfect it and turned it into something we needed. He also invented the Blood Spear move simply by watching you and your abilities. Could you have done the same? Just through observation?"

Zalya sighed. "No." He commanded the blood to return to him and allowed Yaku to move freely. "He's a better leader. I would never try to take his place. Though he is my cousin, I'm afraid he'll kill me if I do anything. Even little things he hates. I have to watch myself around him. He's scary."

"I do not follow leader because I am afraid of him. I follow him because what he says makes sense to me," said Yaku. "When he explains things, you realize that he is right. Too many times men who are in power end up defeated because they were too arrogant. They went in assuming that they were too strong to be defeated and thought they had it all figured out. A smart man would never assume and think that there is a chance of failure. That way he can properly plan for every possible outcome and not assume. That is smart. Going into battle thinking you will win will be your downfall. Going in and thinking there is a chance, you may do better. You have a better chance of winning if you plan for different scenarios rather than think that you will win no matter what. That is why Aizen was defeated. He was powerful but he was also cocky. He got too cocky and lost. If only he had planned better."

Zalya sighed. "You run your mouth too much. Once I get you talking, you're a chatterbox."

"No one ever listens to me so it's nice to get it out of my system from time to time. How depressing."

More Soul Reapers were starting to appear, hearing screaming from their fallen comrades. They could only assume that the Quincies had returned.

"You know, Yaku..." said Zalya. "Making as much noise as possible will draw more of them to our location. That will make our job easier. Shows how bright they are. Gather together to create an easy target."

"They think it's strength in numbers," said Yaku. "The more of them there are, the better chance they have at winning."

"Nah, baby. It just gives us an easier target, converging on the same location like that. With our powers, the more of them there are gathered around, the better chances we have. It makes our job a lot easier."

"Also very true."

The Soul Reapers were gathered and ready to attack.

"Hyah!" Zalya sent a string of blood towards them. Moving like a long whip, the blood slashed them all. "Perfect, baby!" He then used the blood to slice off their limbs. "That's it, scream! Scream and call more of your friends to this location, baby! We'll slaughter you all!"

Yaku stood by and watched his partner hack the Soul Reapers apart. Blood splattered everywhere like crimson rain. Zalya hacked partway through a Soul Reaper's arm and then ripped the rest of it off with his bare hands. He looked like a beast tearing apart a carcase to get at the flesh and organs. It was disgusting to watch. He knew Zalya's goal was to get as much blood as possible to widen his range and gain power, but this gruesome sight was too much to stomach.

"I prefer a more clean way of killing my opponents," said Yaku. "This is too messy and gross for my taste."

"Then you go do your thing and I'll do mine. We'll each take out these Soul Reapers our own way."

"Fine. We'll fan out."

"Good thinking. Go over there and let me have these guys."

Yaku nodded. "Believe me, I plan to put some distance between us. As much as possible. How depressing."

Yaku turned away and walked up the street. He wasn't just leaving to get away from the bloodbath. He knew they would stand a better chance of taking over the Seireitei if they spread out. He would take care of the Soul Reapers in another direction while Zalya handled the ones nearby. It seemed like a better plan. Besides, he knew how wild Zalya would get and didn't want to be around for that. Zalya liked to do things on his own, anyway. No matter how he looked at it, staying away from Zalya was the best option.

Zalya finished butchering the Soul Reapers at his feet and looked around for others. His clothes and face and arms were colored red. He was soaked. Zalya tossed a severed arm onto a roof and started to walk away, satisfied with his work.

He heard a Soul Reaper scream. A woman.

He turned and saw a young girl gaping at the dead Soul Reapers on the ground. Their limps were torn off and one was missing their head. She was horrified at the brutality of it. This was overkill. This was something only a monster would do.

She turned her head and their eyes met. Hers were wet with tears and his were filled with delight.

"I guess I should get cleaned up for a lady." Zalya stood still and the blood lifted off his clothes and into the air. This Quincy garment was white once again. He smiled at her. "Care to try your luck, baby? Maybe get revenge?"

She looked furious. She took out her weapon. "Snap! T-"

He cut her off by wrapping the blood around her mouth and lifting her off the ground by her head. She kicked and struggled but there was no getting free.

"So tiny and weak. I feel sorry for you."

Rather than kill her, Zalya tossed her into the air and watched her sail over the many buildings before landing somewhere he could not see.

Yaku stopped, seeing a girl land at his feet. "That Zalya... Never looks before he tosses something towards me. He could have hit me. How depressing."

The Soul Reaper coughed and started to get up. Her whole body was shaking.

Yaku didn't see her as a threat and started to walk away.

"S- stop!" she ordered him.

He stopped and turned around to face her. She was picking up her fallen weapon. "You have a better chance if you run away and hide," he advised her. "You are just a girl and a small one at that. Utterly worthless."

"What did you say?" She angrily pointed her weapon at him. "See of you feel the same after I burn you!"

"With words or with that?"

She growled and tried releasing her Zanpakuto once more. "Snap!"

Yaku effortlessly stopped her. "Negative Image."

The mirror caught her reflection and suddenly she believed his words. She was utterly worthless. Of course she couldn't do this. Who was she kidding? There was no fooling anyone. She was pathetic. She was weak. She was useless. She deserved nothing.

She fell to the ground and dropped her sword.

Yaku lowered his mirror. "I almost don't even want to bother with you."

He started to walk away then stopped, considering something. Their orders were to kill Soul Reapers. Simply neutralizing them was a form of stopping them but it wasn't killing them. He planned to go back and kill them at his leisure but killing them while they were down and in his sight was equally convenient. He might as well kill her as long as she was nearby. It would save him the trouble of going back to search for her.

He started to walk back.

"Momo!"

He stopped and saw several Soul Reapers come to the girl's aid. He stepped back.

"Momo? Is she ok?"

"It was him. He did this."

Yaku blinked.

"We can handle him," said a Soul Reaper. "You take care of the Lieutenant."

Yaku held up his mirror with a bored expression on his face. "Negative Image." This was so easy it could be called troublesome. It was like pausing a movie with a remote control. All he had to do was hold up his mirror and the fight was over. They might as well save him the trouble and surrender now so he didn't have to keep moving his arms. It was a pain.

The Soul Reapers fell and Yaku moved on.

However, he missed the ones helping the downed Lieutenant. They were behind the attacking Soul Reapers so the mirror never caught their reflections. Their bodies blocked the attack.

"Did you see that?"

"Yeah. It was just as Captain Hitsugaya said. He's the one responsible for all those depressed Soul Reapers in the sickbay."

"Then that means none of them are actually injured. Just immobilized. Same as Momo. We have to go after that guy, Kira. Since Captain Hitsugaya told a bunch of us this guy's special powers, we have a better chance than those who don't."

"Is it really ok to just leave Momo here? And the others, too?"

"They'll be fine. Let's hurry before he gets away."

"Uh, right. Ok, let's go."

* * *

"Rising Corpses!"

Limbs began to twitch, bodies started to rise. One by one, the fallen Soul Reapers started to stand and march at Zalya's command. Soul Reapers hurrying to the scene were sent running in fear from the dead army of former comrades.

"That's it, baby! Run! Run while you still can!" Zalya laughed and performed another solo. He sent blood in different directions, cutting down the fleeing Soul Reapers. "Run! Run! Run!"

They couldn't fight him. They didn't know how. They were panicking.

Fearing others would get cut down by the corpses or by the blood, the Soul Reapers decided not to call for help or to report this. They didn't want anyone else to die.

Unfortunately, this meant that if they didn't stop Zalya, he would keep going and find others to attack. Since no one was coming to help, they had to be the ones to take him down. If they couldn't manage that, then others would be killed and the cycle would never stop. They attack, get cut down, others show up to help, they get cut down, more show up to help, get cut down... It would ever end until everyone was dead.

"Yeah, baby!"

Windows were shattered to reach those hiding inside. They were dragged out and sliced by the blood Zalya controlled. One Soul Reaper tried to stop him with Kido but he would not be restrained. Someone else tried to use Kido to blast him rather than restrain him but the blood blocked the attack. One attack managed to land but that only caused Zalya injury which made him stronger. He drew blood from his burn and added it to his collection.

"There's no stopping this guy..."

"He's not even their leader. Whoever commands him must be a total bad-ass."

"Well, he is an ass," said Zalya. "On a good day."

The blood coiled and bubbled. The red mass was enormous. Zalya had gathered the blood of the dead and of the living, making his collection very intimidating. Gallons and gallons of blood waved through the air, hungry for more. He kept the blood flowing, stretching it out and condensing it into a large ball. When stretched out, the collection of blood was enough to cover an entire building. Other times, it appeared larger. It was impossible to measure just how much he had. They wondered how they were supposed to fight something like that.

The blood pooled on the ground and spread out like water from an overturned bucket. The Soul Reapers backed away but there was too much blood to avoid. It swam around their ankles.

"And now..."

The blood severed their ankles from the rest of their legs. The Soul Reapers fell over in agony. Now they couldn't run away. They landed in the pool of blood and screamed, fearing it would severe any part of their body that touched it. Instead, the blood pulled away like the waves of the sea.

Zalya approached, the blood looming over him like a large red umbrella.

"Please! Please, don't kill me!"

He laughed. "Now you see how it is? How much stronger we are. How weak you are. You now fear us and rightfully so, baby."

The blood dragged those trying to hide out into the open to join their friends. The blood pinned them down. The ones missing their feet whimpered with fear and pain.

"Reduced to sniveling crybabies. You are pathetic. I don't blame you, though. Now you fear for your lives, baby. Any other reaction would be strange." Zalya guided the blood to where he wanted to attack. "Let me put you out of your misery, baby."

"No! No! Please, don't! Please! No!"

"Bye-bye, baby!"

The blood shot forward but never reached the Soul Reapers. A wall of ice blocked its path.

Zalya could have gone around the ice but he was too busy wondering where it had come from to bother. "What fresh hell is this now?"

"Hold on!"

Everyone turned. A Captain was looking down on them from atop a roof overlooking the scene below.

"Captain Hitsugaya!"

He jumped down from his perch and approached the injured men. "Those of you able to walk, carry the others to safety. I'll handle him."

"Watch out, Captain. He's the blood-user we were warned about."

"Yes, I know. Which is why I want you out of here as quickly as possible. I'll deal with him myself. I don't want anyone interfering."

His goal was to prevent anymore people from getting injured. He was worried if he received help, they would end up getting injured or killed. He wanted to keep the number of casualties from increasing. The only way to do that was to fight Zalya himself. Alone.

Zalya allowed the Soul Reapers to escape, knowing they would not get far. Cutting the Captain down would be just as easy as the others he attacked. Once he was taken care of, Zalya would finish what he started and go after the fleeing Soul Reapers. This fight would not take anymore than two minutes at the very most. He intended to finish this in a few seconds.

Hitsugaya turned to face his opponent. Zalya sized him up and started laughing.

"Ha! You? You're a Captain? A shrimp like you made Captain? Man, these Soul Reapers must be desperate, baby."

Hitsugaya scowled at him and raised his sword.

"Have it your way, baby. Once I finish with you, I'll go after those guys running away. This won't take long at all."

"You shouldn't get cocky," warned Hitsugaya. "You came in the Seireitei, asking for a fight. You knew what you were getting into. You know everyone, including Captains, would be after you."

"And the more you send my way, the more I get to cut down. You've made this easy for me, baby."

The blood bubbled and a few large drops broke away from the mass and floated to Zalya's hand. The blood he held was the size of a baseball. He quickly turned it into a large stake to pierce Hitsugaya's heart. If it missed, he would have it circle back and attack him from behind.

That was how he attacked the other Soul Reapers. When they blocked from the front, the blood flowed behind them and struck. It went around their swords. It flowed like water which was impossible to grab and hold. It had no form to deflect. Which was why the Soul Reapers were reduced to running and hiding. They could not combat something like that. Even if they did manage to hit the blood, just like cutting through a raindrop, it split into smaller drops and kept coming. There was no way to defend themselves.

"Now die!"

The blood shot forward in a straight line heading for Hitsugaya's chest.

He swung his sword and a cold air shot forward, freezing anything in its path.

Before it could reach the Captain, the blood hit the ground, frozen solid.

Zalya stared at the frozen blood encased in ice. He was so shocked, he was rendered silent.

"I guess you can't use blood that's encased in ice. You can only control it when it's freely flowing in the air. Which is why you can't control the blood inside a person. Not until you inflict injury which causes blood to flow."

Zalya lifted his gaze to stare at the Captain.

"I heard the rumors about you. I heard details of your powers from those who fought you. I made a mental note about the things I've heard, so I know not to injure you or to get cut myself. What I didn't know was how to stop you. No one did. Everyone said a man with your powers would be impossible to defeat. There was no way to bring you down. They said they tried everything and nothing worked. There was always a way around it, whatever it was."

The frozen blood would not obey him. It would not move. Zalya tried to free it from the ice by moving it but he couldn't bend it to his will.

"So I started thinking," Hitsugaya went on. "Everyone's trying to attack your body to stop you. But what about the blood? No one has thought of that yet. So I decided to try. And using what I know about how your power works, I think I figured something out."

Zalya looked at him again, curious.

"The blood you control can cut people. It can be sharp. But when people try to block it as if it were a sword, it becomes a liquid again. I don't think it's because you're changing the properties of it. It's still a liquid. That never changes. To make it sharp, you thin the blood and send it flying at a great speed. Same thing when you use the blood to pierce someone's chest like a bullet. It's still a liquid, but you're throwing it at a great speed, making it more dangerous. Like dropping a water balloon from different heights. If I were to drop a water balloon from where I'm standing, there won't be much damage. But if I were to drop it from on top of a building, and a tall one at that, it would be like getting hit with a rock. It's still water, but the velocity has changed it's power and the damage you take. The water now feels like a solid and you take damage as if it were. Same thing goes for the blood you control. It's still a liquid."

Zalya flinched. Hitsugaya had figured it out. It was true. The blood was always a liquid. It was the power behind it that changed the amount of damage it inflicted.

"So I thought." Hitsugaya pointed his sword at the mass behind Zalya. "You can't control the blood if it actually becomes a solid. Laws of physics. So if I were to freeze that blood, you will no longer have a weapon."

Zalya's eyes widened.

"I didn't just send those Soul Reapers away and ask to be left alone with you to protect others from getting injured or killed," said Hitaugaya. "I did it because I am the only one who can take you on. No one else stands a chance against you. No one but me."

From this moment on, Hitsugaya would be Zalya's opponent.

* * *

Please review! ^-^


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter: 27**

Bellowing like an animal, Veneno charged and swung his arms forward. The two Quincies fled and attacked from either side, thinking Veneno would be unable to protect both his left and right side at the same time. As they came, Veneno jumped, letting them pass under his body. The same move he had seen used before by a Quincy.

Undeterred, they each bent their bodies to avoid crashing into each other and open fired on Veneno's underside. Veneno's carapace protected him from injury. The arrows shattered upon impact with his shell. He landed and fired a cero at them which they also avoided.

Though angry and out for revenge, Veneno kept his head and wasn't about to let them get the better of him. He was thinking. He wasn't charging blindly. He had a plan. He knew they would strike at his back as before and try to kill him that way. Since he was not a clone, this was his only body and couldn't afford to let his guard down. Taking what he learned from past experience, he knew what to do and what to avoid.

Mordere aimed at Veneno's head. Aside from the mask on Veneno's forehead, his skull was unprotected. He fired and Veneno swung his arm, destroying the arrow with his pincer. He fired another cero at Mordere and changed location. He knew not to stay standing in one place for long.

Another arrow came his way and Veneno dodged. He ran for a distance then fired a cero at Yagi who was running the opposite direction. He missed and Yagi circled back to attack.

At the same time, Mordere chose to attack from another direction. He bent his knees and straightened them like an unleashed spring. He grabbed Veneno's right arm and held him back, giving Yagi a clear shot at his chest and face. "Now, leader! I've got him!"

Veneno didn't bother fighting back. Mordere had forgotten about the other weapon he possessed. The long flexible tail behind him bent and struck. The tip of his poisonous tail tore through Mordere's vest but missed his flesh. Seeing this, Mordere released Veneno and fled.

If his suspicions were correct, that tail could infect him with the Hollow virus. With Linnette still in the area, that would be dangerous. He didn't want Linnette to take control of him and force him to attack Yagi against his will.

Veneno's tail struck the ground at Mordere's feet while his arms went after Yagi who had come within striking distance. Yagi retreated but had enough time to fire off a few arrows in Veneno's direction. His pincers blocked every one of them. Yagi deftly moved out of Veneno's path and spun around to his side, with a clear shot to his neck. He fired but Veneno knew the attack was coming and ducked, letting the arrow sore over his head. He turned his body towards him and reached for Yagi with his pincer.

"Leader!" Mordere came running, jumped up and struck the side of Veneno's head with his fist.

Veneno's attack missed and his body tilted sideways. Mordere packed quite a punch. His bare fists were enough to send him staggering.

The Arrancar looked up and snarled at his attacker. He never thought taking on two at once would be easy, but it was the task he had taken on himself.

Ichigo watched weakly from where he lay on the ground. He was worried Veneno would need assistance but there was nothing he could do. Part of him was confident in Veneno's abilities, having taken him on before in the past. He knew just how strong Veneno was. He almost didn't win against him when they fought before. In that sense, Ichigo shouldn't have been worried. However, Ichigo couldn't help but worry about a friend. Especially one in battle with two strong opponents.

Veneno bent his torso backwards to avoid the arrows coming at his chest and swung his tail into Yagi's flank. The Quincy leader was sent flying sideways. That was the first real blow anyone had given him. Even Mordere was worried about his boss. He had never seen Yagi get hit before with such force.

His worry was for nothing when he saw his leader stand up and brush himself off. He looked more annoyed than injured. He was fine.

"How dare you hurt him!" Mordere swung his arms at Veneno, punching him. His powerful fists were enough to knock Veneno's arms back slightly. He could feel the vibrations resonate into the bones in his arm. This Quincy was strong. Mordere grabbed Veneno's pincer and blasted him with light from both hands. He had used arrows at such close range with such power that resulted in a blast like a bomb.

Veneno's pincer was not damaged but he could feel the blast travel up his arm and weaken his muscles. His arm dropped, giving Yagi the perfect opportunity to fire. Veneno raised his other arm to block the arrow but it passed under his pincer and sank into his stomach. The arrow weakened and disappeared. Veneno observed the wound but there was no blood. He didn't feel any different.

When he looked at Yagi, he was annoyed. Clearly that attack didn't happen the way Yagi wanted it to.

"That arrow didn't have enough power behind it."

Either that or Veneno was just too strong to be taken down with just one arrow.

The arrow only sank into the side of his stomach so it missed vital areas.

More arrows came next and Veneno retreated. He knew Yagi wouldn't let him get close so he was firing to keep him at a distance. Veneno had to find a way to get closer to Yagi for an attack. Firing a cero would work at a distance but he knew Yagi would dodge it easily. He had to get closer.

Ichigo felt woozy. The image of Veneno's scorpion body kept fading in and out. He felt weak and tired. His body wanted to sleep. He wanted to just to escape the pain he was feeling, but he couldn't. If he passed out, he could become a Hollow again. He had to hold on.

"Ahh!" Veneno fell back, struck with a Quincy weapon Ichigo could not see. Veneno planted his six legs and stood his ground. He braced himself as a folly of arrows came soaring at his head. They struck his pincers and body but none of them made it to his flesh. To escape the arrows, Veneno jumped and fired a cero straight down.

Mordere fled the area, thinking the cero was meant for him.

Instead, Veneno meant to use it as a smokescreen. Veneno landed and disappeared in the cloud of dirt his cero stirred up. Now no one could see him.

Mordere fired wildly into the cloud, hoping one of his arrows would reach his target. All was quiet when Mordere stopped firing. He stared at the cloud, waiting.

Veneno fired a cero in Yagi's direction, but he dodged, just as he thought. The cero was meant as another distraction. While Mordere turned to watch the cero, Veneno came running out of the cloud heading in the other direction. By the time Mordere turned back, it was too late.

"Rah!" Veneno clamped his pincer around Mordere's arm and squeezed.

There was a loud crunching sound followed by a snap. Mordere wailed and screamed, his arm torn off by the Arrancar. There was a stub coming out of his elbow where his left arm used to be. Now it lay on the ground in a pool of blood.

Veneno moved in to finish the job but Mordere was moving again. He ducked and rolled under Veneno's body and between his legs.

Mordere tore off his sleeve and tied it around his injury to stopped the bleeding. He had no time to think about his missing arm. He had to focus on the Arrancar.

"Now you can only fire at one place at a time," said Veneno. "Like all Quincies."

"I'll kill you!" Mordere stood and fired with his remaining hand. Veneno dodged and came at him, circling wide. Moving in a crescent shape, Veneno fired a cero then, traveling right behind it, Veneno prepared his pincers for another go.

Mordere dodged the cero but wasn't expecting Veneno to be traveling in its path. Veneno appeared and opened his pincers wide to chomp off another limb. If the Quincy couldn't use his arms, he couldn't fire arrows. It would be next to impossible for him to attack.

Yagi watched Mordere's fight and wondered if he should use his Blood Spear to stop the Arrancar. He only had one shot but he would not miss. He still needed Mordere so it was in his best interest to save him from the enemy.

He looked to his left and saw Rukia watching him. She was expecting him to use it. The moment he did, she would attack, knowing he would be unable to use it again. Her anticipation was worrisome. If he used it now, he would not be able to use it again, even as a bluff, and she knew that. They were keeping their distance from him because they knew he could still use it. Like a chamber with one bullet. Once fired, the gun would be useless and no one would think twice about rushing in.

Yagi couldn't use it. Using that attack was the only way he was keeping them at a distance. He couldn't give that up, even for Mordere. Having Blood Spear at his disposal was the only thing keeping them at bay. It wasn't worth it. If he didn't use it, then he would have to do something else to stop Veneno, but anything else would be too risky.

He was safer here. If he went in to save Mordere, he was putting himself at risk. When it came right down to it, Mordere wasn't worth his life. He would rather watch his ally die than risk his own life to save him.

Yagi remained where he was and watched.

Mordere didn't expect Yagi to help him anyway. To prove himself, Mordere promised himself to be strong and being strong meant never needing to be rescued. He didn't want Yagi to think he was weak and discard him. It would be a great dishonor and downright embarrassing. Mordere had to save himself.

Pulling out another weapon, Mordere plunged it into Veneno's chest.

"Gah!" Veneno cried out as the strange blade was driven deep into his body from his momentum. Veneno sailed over Mordere's head and crashed into the ground.

Rukia took her eyes off Yagi to see what had happened. She gasped when she saw the weapon sticking out of Veneno's chest.

Ichigo shared her fears and tried to lift himself up but couldn't. He couldn't help Veneno.

Rukia stood and started to come over to help. As soon as she did, she saw Yagi taking a few steps towards Ichigo. She stopped and Yagi stopped.

Just as she thought. Yagi wanted Ichigo alone. If she left his side, Yagi would move in. She couldn't allow that. She went right back to Ichigo and stayed there. She couldn't help Veneno if it meant abandoning Ichigo.

Veneno lifted himself up and looked down at his chest. The weapon missed the hole by a few inches. It would be tricky to pull this strange weapon free with pincers but he was certain he could do it without breaking the handle.

"Seele Schneider," said Mordere. "That is the name of the weapon I stuck you with. You might as well know since it's what I'm going to kill you with." He pulled another one from his belt. "Time to pay you back for my arm, you piece of filth."

Veneno pulled the weapon from his chest and tossed it aside. His pincers cracked the handle but didn't break it which he was thankful for. If he broke the handle, it would have been extremely difficult to get the weapon out of his body.

Mordere was on the attack already. He rushed at Veneno, weapon in hand. Veneno held up his pincer to block. Mordere avoided his hard pincer and went for the flesh. His weapon entered Veneno's elbow and he slit open a path to the Arrancar's shoulder. Veneno's arm was torn open and blood sprayed from the wound like a fountain.

"Ahh!"

"An Arrancar like you needs to know their place!"

Mordere stabbed Veneno in the back and carved an X across his spine. Veneno turned his body quickly to one side to throw him off. Mordere took advantage of Veneno's long release form and stood on the spine of his scorpion body. It was protected by a thick, hard carapace so Mordere's blade could not pierce it easily. Mordere did not intend to. Since Veneno's form was very much like that of a centaur, he knew Veneno would not be able to attack him if he were standing where he was. He also knew that Veneno would be unable to shake him from this position and he would not be able to defend his back. From this position, Mordere had a clear shot at Veneno's back and there was nothing Veneno could do to protect it.

Even so, Veneno tried to face Mordere. It was impossible. Like a horse trying to face its rider, Veneno could not turn in any direction to keep his back from Mordere. This was exactly what he was afraid of and wanted to prevent. As long as Mordere was riding on him, Veneno's back was open to attack. He couldn't defend it nor could he reach Mordere to attack him.

"What a stupid Arrancar," he remarked. Keeping just out of reach, Mordere watched Veneno buck up and down and twist his torso to try to face him. It was like watching a turtle attempt to reach its own shell. Veneno could not grab him from here. Mordere found it amusing to watch the Arrancar struggle.

Veneno's arm could not reach Mordere and he could not rotate his torso any further. If only his spine was like that of an owl's neck. Then maybe he could reach Mordere. That gave him an idea. There was one part of his body that had greater reach than his arms. It was the longest and most flexible part of his body.

His tail.

He made one last attempt to reach Mordere with his arms, but only to make sure he had his attention. He made to make sure Mordere's eyes were on him, focused in this direction and not looking behind him.

Just as planned, Mordere kept his eyes on Veneno's pincers, making sure they did not reach him. That was when he struck. As Mordere watched the pincers, Veneno struck with his tail. Feeling Veneno's body move under his feet, Mordere quickly jumped off just as the tail came down on his shoulder. The stinger just missed his body, but the tail itself whacked his shoulder with enough force to dislocate it.

Mordere landed and held his injured shoulder. He had to pop it back in quickly before Veneno retaliated.

Veneno's eyes darted from Mordere to Yagi. That was the Quincy he wanted. He had to finish with Mordere before he went after him. If he didn't stop Mordere, he would keep preventing him from reaching Yagi. He had to take them out one at a time.

So far Yagi was just watching them but who knew how much longer that would last? It was only a matter of time before he took part in the fight again.

With a loud crack, Mordere popped his shoulder back into place. He wasn't expecting such a loud sound, making him think the injury was worse than it was. He was already angry with the Arrancar for attacking Yagi, but now he was out for revenge for his damaged body. He resented Veneno for even being alive. Arrancars and Hollows alike should not be allowed to live. As a Quincy, it was his job to right this wrong and eliminate him. Now he had even more reasons to do that.

That list was growing longer the more this battle dragged on, fueling his rage. This was no longer about killing an abomination. It was personal. Veneno must die.

The Seele Schneider in his hand extended to its full length, ready to inflict serious injury. Mordere was ready.

"Hey, Arrancar!"

Veneno turned back to Mordere.

"We're not finished yet."

"Right." Veneno had little choice. Mordere would keep coming if he didn't stop him.

Mordere lowered his body to the ground and shot off like a rocket. Veneno took a step back, seeing Mordere take to the sky. His jump was so powerful he was airborne. He sailed over Veneno's head and towards his back. Knowing where he was aiming, Veneno turned his body and backed up, preventing him from mounting him again. Mordere landed on the ground and shot off again at a slight angle, now heading straight for Veneno's chest.

Veneno backed up but it wasn't enough. Using his sword-like weapon, Mordere cut across Veneno's chest and towards his neck. Veneo leaned his head back and brought his left arm up behind Mordere. His pincer slammed into Mordere's shoulder and knocked him off course. Veneno was spared but not by much. He had a gash across his chest, narrowly missing his collarbone.

Mordere landed in the dirt and spun onto his feet. His attack was relentless. Despite having only one arm, Mordere didn't seem to be any weaker. Surely the blood loss would make him feel a little dizzy, but it didn't appear to be that way. He came at Veneno with lightning speed and slashed at his exposed body. Any part of him unprotected by his armor was a potential target. Veneno had to evade every time that weapon was aimed at his bare flesh.

Mordere jumped again and held his sword in his teeth. Using his one good arm, he fired several arrows at Veneno's body. Veneno shielded himself behind his pincers and disappeared into the dust cloud. Mordere followed his arrows straight down, sword pointed forward. The glowing blade scraped against Veneno's shell before finding soft flesh.

"Huagh!"

No one could see what was happening in the cloud of dirt and dust. All they could hear was Veneno screaming in pain.

Ichigo watched with worried eyes, fearing the worst.

There was silence.

Yagi smiled and knew the Arrancar had suffered a mortal wound. "Well done."

A beam shot out from the cloud and went straight for Yagi. It was a cero. Yagi flashed away, moving closer to where Ichigo lay with Rukia. He scowled, staring bitterly at the dust cloud. Veneno still manged to attack despite being injured, and with such precision to boot.

Two voices were yelling. Veneno staggered out of the cloud with Mordere on his shoulders. Mordere had his weapon stuck in Veneno's shoulder, preventing him from lifting his arm. Mordere had his legs wrapped around Veneno's shoulders and neck, holding on while he grabbed fistfuls of Veneno's hair with his one hand. The stub of his injured limb smeared blood on Veneno's face. They grunted and yelled, spinning around in a circle.

"I told you I'd kill you, Arrancar!" Mordere drew another weapon.

Veneno threw his head back, slamming it into Mordere's stomach. He used his other arm to reach up and grasped Mordere's jacket in an attempted to reach his one remaining arm. Mordere maintained his hold on Veneno's hair but avoided the pincer by moving to Veneno's other shoulder. Veneno could not raised the arm he was leaning towards due to the weapon in his shoulder. Veneno took a chance and used his tail to throw Mordere off. His tail slammed into Mordere from behind and threw him over Veneno's head and onto the ground. The move did not just injure Mordere. Veneno was hit from behind by his own tail, causing his body to lurch forward and his head to spin.

Still determined to win, Mordere rose and ran at Veneno again. Using his Seele Schneider as the sword it resembled, he came at Veneno with a furious attack. The blade bounced against Veneno's armored legs and his pincers. Refusing to let up, Mordere continued the assult. When Veneno finally struck back, Mordere retreated. The only marks his weapon left on Veneno's armor were a lattice of thin scratches. No matter how much he tried, he couldn't break that armor. Seeing scratches gave Mordere hope that if he pressed a little further and kept at it eventually he would break through and be able to cause the Arrancar damage.

Such a thing would take too long and with only one arm he would not have the power to do so as quickly as he would like. Veneno's armor would take hours to get through at this rate. Time which he did not have.

He was starting to feel the effects of his lost arm and from the intensity of this fight. Mordere's reaction time was beginning to slow. At this rate, he would continue to grow weaker until he could no longer stand.

He looked to his leader, wondering why he had not helped him in all this time. They were fighting Veneno together just a few minutes ago. Then he got hit and was thrown in the other direction. Since he was able to stand, Mordere thought his leader was not injured. Could he be wrong? Or was it something else? Was his leader testing his strength? Was he disappointed? Mordere had to prove himself and make his leader proud. As a Quincy, he, too, had his pride. He could not lose to an Arrancar. He could not give up or run away. It was shameful. Aside from pleasing his leader, Mordere had to do this for himself. He was a strong Quincy. He could not lose.

Veneno panted and tried to remove the blade from his shoulder. Before he could, Mordere was attacking again. To stop him, Veneno fired a cero. Mordere evaded and the cero continued its path towards Ichigo and Rukia.

He yelped in surprise. He didn't realize they were so close. He should have aimed better. No, Mordere should not have blocked his vision. If Mordere weren't there, he would have seen them.

Rukia ducked, throwing her body over Ichigo's. The cero passed overhead and exploded behind them. Both were unharmed.

Veneno let out a breath, thankful they were alright.

"Idiot!" Mordere used his weapon as a dagger and stabbed Veneno in the stomach. He had to get Veneno off his feet. As thin as his six legs were, they were powerful. He could not budge them. He jumped onto Veneno's back and put him in a headlock.

Veneno could not grab hold of Mordere's arm. It was too close to his neck and his pincers were not the easiest to control. He would severe his own neck if he wasn't careful. Mordere used his stub of an arm to support the good one, keeping it in place.

"Worrying about your so-called friends made it easy for me to get to you. You got distracted." Mordere increased pressure. "See what you get by having 'friends', Arrancar? I was able to get this close because you got distracted, worrying about them. If you didn't give a damn, this wouldn't have happened."

It was true. If Veneno didn't care about Ichigo, he wouldn't have worried when he saw the cero heading towards him. He would have kept fighting and not pause to look in his direction.

However, Mordere didn't take one important thing into account.

When Veneno looked in Ichigo's direction, he saw the worried look in his eyes. The look of someone who desperately wanted to help but couldn't. Ichigo couldn't move. He wanted to help him so much and couldn't. He saw Ichigo's lips whisper his name. Veneno saw Rukia's anxious face and remembered when she watched his clone die, thinking it was him. How she was so close to tears. How sad she was. How angry she was. Most of all, how happy she was to see him alive. They cared about him. They worried about him. This was a feeling Veneno had never had before he knew them. The feeling of being loved and loving someone in return.

Friendship.

Seeing their faces watching him with fearful uncertainly and a longing to help him gave Veneno a strength he had never known. He wanted to protect them. He wanted to win. Not just to live but for them. Mordere was wrong about his friendship with Soul Reapers making him weaker and more vulnerable. It gave him strength.

With no regards to how painful this would be, Veneno forcefully reared up on his back legs and willingly fell onto his back. The weight of his body crushed Mordere and caused him to release his hold. The blade in his shoulder was driven in deeper from the impact and he could feel Mordere's body being pressed into his from behind. Mordere got the worst of it. His body was under Veneno's. He twisted and struggled to free himself and finally managed to squeeze out from under him.

Ichigo's vision started to go black. He couldn't see their fight anymore. The sounds of battle were drifting further away. He grabbed Rukia's wrist to keep himself conscious. Stimulating his senses seemed to help him stay awake, but he also wanted to get Rukia's attention, hoping she would help him.

"Hang in there, Ichigo." Her voice sounded like a whisper. "Hang on."

He looked at her blurry face. His eyes wouldn't focus. His body was numb. He couldn't move. His limbs felt like stone. He could no longer feel the warmth of her hand in his. He was so dizzy and so tired. Everything ached. Everything hurt. If only he could escape this pain. If only he didn't have to suffer.

If only he hadn't dragged them into this situation. They were here and he could do nothing. He was only going to cause them trouble.

He could feel himself slipping away.

"Rukia... I'm sorry."

Her face was brought closer to his. He could barely make it out.

"I can't..." He couldn't do it anymore. It was too painful. It was too difficult. It was all too much. "I'm sorry. I just can't. I can't anymore... I can't do it."

He couldn't hold out anymore.

What brought him back to his senses was a slap in the face. His eyes opened wide and he looked at Rukia. "Wha..?"

"I never want to hear you say that again! Do you hear me?" she snapped.

Ichigo lay stunned, staring at her. "Uh... I..."

"Never!" she told him in an angry tone. "You've never said you can't before so don't start now. I've never seen you give up once in all the time I've known you. Even when I told you not to do something; when I said you couldn't, you did it anyway. That is who you are. Someone who doesn't give up no matter how difficult it may be. When the hell did you become such a coward?"

That word was enough to make Ichigo snap back at her in anger. "What did you just call me? I'm not a coward!"

"Then don't act like one!" Rukia squeezed his hand and he felt her touch. He could feel it. "You're better than this. I know you are. You've never given up before so don't start now. Saying you can't is something I can't accept. It's the same as giving up and I can't let you do that. Not now."

He could feel the pressure increase on his hand. She was digging her nails into him.

"We're here fighting for you, Ichigo. All of us. You always fought for us and with us. You helped us. Now it's our turn to step up and return the favor. Now it's our turn to help you. Are you going to let that all be in vain? We're not giving up, even if we get hurt. We're still here. We're still fighting. We're not giving up. Are you?"

She was right. What on earth was he thinking? What was he saying? He knew desperation would do strange things to people who were suffering but he never expected to hear those words from his own mouth. Was it the fever talking or was he just that desperate? He didn't really mean it. He didn't want to give up. Never. It wasn't in him. He didn't know what made him say that. He must have been in a bad way to even think of saying those words.

"Giving up is exactly what the enemy wants. Are you going to let Yagi get his way? Are you going to let him win because it's easier?"

From the beginning, Yagi was trying to weaken Ichigo. Trying to break him. Yagi attacked his friends to lure him away. He injected him with a serum that was breaking him down from the inside out. It was painful and debilitating. As if that weren't enough, it was a terrible poison that would ultimately kill him, bringing him fever and sickness. It was torture. Not just to weaken his body but his spirit. Yagi wanted Ichigo to feel desperate. To suffer. To beg for it all to end. His cruelty knew no end.

"But if you want to give up, that's your choice. If it's too hard for you to go on, I understand." Rukia bit her lip. "I just thought... It's just..."

"Rukia..."

"With everyone fighting like this and working around the clock, I thought you would be worth fighting for. If you give up and have everything go to waste, I'll never forgive you!"

Ichigo's arm reached up and grabbed Rukia's shoulder. "Who the hell said I was giving up?!" he snapped. "The hell I am! Would you quit running your big mouth and let me get a word in, Rukia? I'm not giving up. It's not in me. I never know when to quit. You should know that by now."

Rukia could feel Ichigo's strength in the hand grabbing her shoulder. His strength was returning.

"When I said 'I can't'... I was talking about the pain and weakness in my body. I can't take being like this anymore. That's what I meant. I can't give up until I teach that Yagi guy a lesson."

In truth, that wasn't really what Ichigo meant when he had said it. He was talking about how he couldn't hold on anymore, but Ichigo convinced himself that he had only said it on account of his feverish state. He wasn't thinking clearly. If he were his normal self, he would never give in and never give up.

He did mean what he said now, but he was covering himself for what he had said before.

"I know my body won't hold out for much longer, but I'm not giving up. No way in hell. So just shut the hell up and quit lecturing me. I know what needs to get done and I'll do it."

Satisfied with that answer, Rukia relaxed and gave him a smile. This was the Ichigo she knew. He was no coward and certainly not a weakling.

There was no way Ichigo was going to let people fight for him and have it not mean something. He was not giving up. He was never going to let the enemy win. If he gave up, then this fight would mean nothing. His friends, his own sacrifice, everything. He wasn't about to let that happen.

Veneno rolled onto his legs with the help of his tail and pincers. He looked in Ichigo's direction to make sure he wasn't in harm's way. When he saw Ichigo sitting up and talking to Rukia he felt relieved. Ichigo was still alive. He seemed to be doing a little better. Veneno turned to face his opponent. He had to win now.

Seeing Veneno stand brought a frown to Mordere's face. This Arrancar was still alive. "Raah!" His seething raged welled up from his throat and he dashed forward with his weapon at a blinding speed. He had to win. He had to kill him.

Veneno used his arm as a wrecking-ball and threw Mordere into the air. Mordere flipped once through the air and landed on his feet. He came at Veneno again with his weapon. When Veneno struck, Mordere kicked off one of Veneno's legs and changed directions. He spun his body around like a twister, weapon in hand. He slashed Veneno's pincer but it still wasn't enough to crack it. He fired arrows at Veneno's head and tried attacking in two directions at once. Without an arm, it was even more difficult.

When he tried to attack Veneno's underside, one of his blade-like legs came down on Mordere, piercing his thigh. "Ahh!" Mordere tried to slice off the Arrancar's leg but it was too well protected. Veneno lifted his leg and Mordere slipped free, jumping back.

Veneno looked back to see where Yagi was standing. He was still there, watching.

"You're fighting me, you ass!"

Veneno turned back. "Am I just your enemy because I'm an Arrancar?"

It was a sudden and bold question as far as he was concerned. "Of course you are!" answered Mordere. "Aside from that, you took my arm and attacked my leader. You really think I'll let you live?"

"And Ichigo. What did he ever do to you?"

"He's a stinking Soul Reaper! That's more than enough of a reason to attack him. He deserves no less."

Just as he thought.

Mordere pointed his weapon at Veneno. "Why the questions? What business is it of yours?"

"I just wanted to know because of how you were reacting. Now I know."

"Know what?" demanded Mordere. "You make no sense whatsoever! You're an Arrancar yet you defend Soul Reapers. They're your natural enemy. And here you are fighting alongside them."

"There was a time when I would have agreed with you, but things have changed. When I saw them as my enemy, I had reason to. They did things to me. It's my fault, too. I did things to them as well. I felt it was justified." Veneno looked back at Mordere. "But with you it's different. They've done nothing to you. It's just blind hatred. You hate them simply because they are Soul Reapers. Not because of anything personal. Same goes for me."

"Of course!" declared Mordere, holding his weapon high. "Soul Reapers are scum compared to us Quincy. And Hollows deserve nothing short of death. Arrancars are the very same. Your very existence is an unforgivable sin. You should not be allowed to live. Even if you acted like a saint, simply being an Arrancar seals your fate. You deserve to die! You are an abomination!"

"Even those who pose no threat?"

"Yes! Weren't you listening? If you are not a Quincy, you are far below us. You are unworthy. We decide the rules. We alone have the right. Arrancars and Hollows alike are doomed to die. It is only what you deserve. You and those... those things!"

Mordere pointed to Shinji, Rojuro and Ichigo with his weapon.

"Having Hollow powers, really... It's a sin in and of itself. Willing or not, it's wrong. It's wrong to accept the powers of your sworn enemy. Though Sharif is a Quincy, his body was pieced back together with Hollow parts. Now he is an abomination."

Veneno frowned, hearing this. A member of their company now had Hollow powers. "He is your ally... Will you kill him, too?"

"If it comes to that, then yes."

He spoke without any hesitation. Veneno saw just how brutal this Quincy was. He had a cold heart. Veneno could see there was no convincing this man of anything else. He would not listen even if he tried.

Giving a battle-cry, Mordere came at Veneno in one last attack. He meant to kill him this time. No more words would be exchanged.

It looked like a forward attack but just as Veneno prepared to block his front, Mordere changed directions and went behind him. Veneno's tail swept the ground, hoping to trip him but Mordere jumped into the air and landed on Veneno's back once more. He drove his weapon into Veneno's spine. He screamed and used his tail to attack Mordere. Mordere jumped at the last moment and grabbed onto the tail. He held on for a violent ride as Veneno swished his tail back and forth to shake him off. His tail was armored so Mordere could not chop it off as he desired. He let the tail fling him into the air where he unleashed a folly of arrows. He followed their path straight down and impaled Veneno with his Seele Schneider.

Veneno screamed and staggered to one side. The weapon entered under his arm, crossing the other still stuck in his shoulder. His arm was stuck in an upward position. With these two weapons where they were, he could not lower his arm, nor could he bend it to block anything coming from the front or behind.

"It is time to pay you back for my arm and for attacking leader. Most of all, just for being alive, you monster."

Yagi smiled, watching with glee. Even with one arm, Mordere was a skilled fighter.

Mordere jumped up, colliding his knee with Veneno's chin, knocking his head back. An arc of blood painted the path from his lips and Veneno nearly fell over. He forced his head down, hunting for an opening. Mordere drew another weapon and aimed it at Veneno's chest.

Veneno spun, slamming his tail into Mordere's chest. Mordere avoided the tip and hung on as Veneno swung his tail. Mordere used its path as a way back to his oppoenent. He let go and dropped onto Veneno's shoulders, his weapon raised. Veneno blocked with his pincer and the weapon flew out of Mordere's hand. Mordere retreated for another attack.

Veneno tried to move his other arm to block but with the weapons stuck in his body, he couldn't. He grasped one with his pincer and pulled it out. When he reached for the other, Mordere was in his face. He kicked Veneno and fired several arrows. Veneno fired a cero at the same time, resulting in another explosion. He ripped the weapon from his shoulder and used it to stab its owner. Mordere stumbled back with the weapon sticking out of his stub of a former arm.

"I won't lose!" Mordere let the weapon remain, seeing how it extended his reach. He drew another and launched himself at Veneno. "You have no place among us! Worthless Hollows must die! A powerful Quincy will never be defeated by you disgusting monsters!"

Taking a deep breath, Veneno fired another cero at Mordere and hid behind his pincers. The blast knocked Mordere back, but he stood his ground. Veneno fired again and Mordere prepared to jump. Something was wrong. His jump wasn't powerful enough to take him out of the way. He looked down, noticing the wound from before. He had nearly forgotten that Veneno's leg and pierced his. He was still bleeding and running and jumping so much had only aggravated it further. The muscles were torn, making it impossible to jump. It was too painful and his leg wasn't functioning properly.

Mordere tried to block the cero with his weapons. He took the brunt of the attack and was blasted aside.

Thinking it was enough, Veneno turned his attention towards Yagi. He was next. He started his charge. All he had to do was use his pincers to decapitate him and this would all be over.

"Veneno!"

The warning came from both Ichigo and Rukia.

He remembered the last time he had faced Yagi and was attacked from behind. His clone had been killed. The same would not happen with his real body.

Veneno turned to meet Mordere. He had his weapon pointed forward like a sword.

Veneno had turned too quickly. All the legs on his right side were in the air while the ones on his left were still on the ground, resulting in his body being tipped sideways and off balance. The weapon pierced his other shoulder, missing his chest by only two inches. Off balance, Veneno couldn't absorb the impact as much as he wanted, causing his body to spin half way around. He fell onto the ground and Mordere stood on top of him.

Pressing his foot on the handle of his Seele Schneider to keep it in Veneno's shoulder, Mordere drew the one from his stubby arm and prepared to cut off his head. "Now die!"

His mind searched for ideas. At last he had one, but it came with a price. He had no choice.

Veneno let Mordere plunge the weapon straight down towards his neck.

"Veneno!" Ichigo screamed, thinking his friend was about to die.

Veneno wouldn't let him down. Knowing how much Ichigo truly cared brought Veneno joy. Joy and bravery. Just like Ichigo, he was willing to take risks to win. Not just for himself but for his friends.

The blade stopped just before entering Veneno's neck. His pincer caught the handle of the weapon along with Mordere's hand. He didn't squeeze. He wasn't trying to chop it off. He was holding him there. Veneno didn't want Mordere to get away. In that split second, Veneno grabbed Mordere, held him in place and rolled. Now on top of Mordere, Veneno fired a cero.

Another explosion. The ground shook and quaked. Yagi almost couldn't stay standing but he did.

The blast sent Veneno flying and created a crater in the ground where Mordere lay.

Veneno could have fired the cero with Mordere on top of him but that wasn't the plan he came up with. With him on top and firing the cero at the ground, the blast would be contained, making it even more dangerous at close range. The sacrifice was allowing himself to get caught up in the blast as well. As far as Veneno was concerned, it was worth it.

His body sailed through the air and came crashing down on the ground. He wasn't moving and his body was smoking from the blast.

Rukia craned her neck to see in the hole Veneno's cero left behind. Mordere was still in there, but she was curious if he were alive or dead.

As she looked, Yagi started to approach. He had been inching his way over to them for a while. Now was his chance. He knew Rukia wouldn't be able to defend Ichigo on her own against him.

She sensed him coming and picked up her sword. She pointed it at him, kneeling over Ichigo's body.

Desperate to help, Ichigo started to sit up without her support. He suffered a dizzy spell and fell over. He couldn't get up. His head was spinning too much. He wouldn't be able to help her.

Linnette watched from where she hid with the two Captains. Shinji was still unconscious from landing on his head from an attack. Rojuro was too badly injured to do anything. She looked over to where Veneno lay and knew he was in no position to help either. She had no weapon so there was nothing she could do. Even if she could, she was too far from Yagi to reach him in time. She couldn't run that fast and she was incapable of flashing to the spot like she had seen Soul Reapers do.

She looked down at Shinji. He wasn't injured. Just knocked out. Out of the two of them, he was their best chance. Well, maybe not him necessarily. "Shinji's Hollow, get up."

He didn't move.

"I know you can hear me. Now get up. Please, get up! I need you."

Shinji's eyes opened, glowing gold. The other one was in control. "Ai, he took one hell of a whack to the head." He sat up, holding his skull. "I told him he needed to be more careful."

"I need your help," Linnette told him.

He turned to her. "Whatever you need, kitten. Just say the word."

She pointed. "Help Rukia protect Ichigo. She needs help. Please stop Yagi from hurting him."

He nodded. "You got it." In a flash, Shinji was off.

"I'll go," came Rojuro's voice. Only it was a little different. There was a slight hiss to it. His Hollow was in control as well, though Linnette hadn't summoned him. "I'll assist. I know he means a lot to you. So I will also help."

Linnette put her hands on his shoulders to keep him from rising. "No, I need you to stay down. You're too injured. I don't want Rose or Rojuro or whatever his name is to get worse."

"Rose is a nickname," he told her. "But your orders were to help protect Ichigo from harm. I must obey your request."

"Then I order you to stay there and not make your injuries worse!"

He stopped resisting. He looked up at her with sad eyes. He looked like a frightened rabbit. It made her upset seeing him look at her like this. It was as if she were denying him something he desperately wanted.

"Now I am conflicted," he admitted. "You gave me two orders but one goes against the other to a point. I am not sure what to do."

"I don't want you hurt."

"I know. It would upset you and I cannot bring myself to do that to you." He sighed. "I know I am not myself around you and I'm alright with that. I don't mind. I know I have to do anything you say and that's fine with me. I like it. Gives me purpose and it makes me happy to please you." Even if it was a spell, he couldn't deny the feeling it gave him. He loved it. Being a servant wasn't so bad in his Hollow eyes.

Yagi was closing in and just as he was about to come within striking distance, someone blocked his path. Shinji stood in front of him with his sword drawn. Once again, Yagi looked annoyed but amused.

"Just save me the trouble and move."

"I will not. I was given an order. You will not reach Ichigo Kurosaki."

Yagi sighed. "I have no time for this. Either move or fight me. And I promise you, a fight with me will not be easy. Not for you. Save yourself the pain and stand aside."

"I will not."

He sighed again. "Fine. Have it your way. But I offered."

* * *

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	28. Chapter 28

**Chapter: 28**

Unlike Shinji, his Hollow didn't plan out his attacks. He was more reckless. They had two different fighting styles. His Hollow held off on using his Zanpakuto's ability as long as he could, preferring to use actual swordplay instead.

Hissing, Shinji attacked. His sword collided with Yagi's Seele Schneider and canceled each other out. Shinji pulled back and swung again. Yagi blocked and then threw his weapon at Shinji.

"Stupid fool!" Shinji easily dodged. "Tossing your weapon at me will do nothing. Not only did you miss but now you have no weapon!"

Yagi drew another from his belt and blocked Shinji's attack. "Don't forget I have others."

"It won't matter." Shinji kicked Yagi in the stomach and pursued him when he staggered back. He swung and Yagi swung back. They were holding their weapons with one hand. Shinji kept his eye on Yagi's free hand, knowing he would try something. Shinji used his other hand to grab Yagi and hold him in place as he swung, hoping to cut him. Even in Shinji's grasp, Yagi still managed to evade his swings. Yagi spun his body, pulling Shinji's arm backwards. Shinji spun with him, refusing to let go. He stepped to the side, blocking Yagi's path with his foot. Now their legs were tangled. Shinji pulled himself in, wrapping his body close to Yagi's. He raised his sword and stabbed Yagi's left arm.

Somehow, Yagi had managed to pull his arm back, preventing the cut from being worse than it was. It was enough to draw blood but it saved him from losing an arm like his partner. He took up his Seele Schneider and threw it at Shinji's head. Shinji tilted his head to one side, letting it pass by his right ear and into the ground.

"Pharaoh doesn't need to be bothered with you. I can do this myself. There's no need."

"You are one cocky Hollow," remarked Yagi.

"I'm not cocky. I'm just that good. Besides, you're the cocky one here. Stupid, too. You keep throwing your weapons away like a fool. No wonder you stay out of the fight and just stand there. You really have no idea what you're doing."

Yagi brought his knee up quickly, kicking Shinji between the legs. Taking advantage of his weakened grip, Yagi shoved him away and retreated to a safe distance, drawing another weapon.

"Cheap shot." Shinji straightened up with a snarl. His face still looked pained, but he looked more angry than hurt.

"Whatever works." Yagi threw his weapon at Shinji who dodged again. He drew another.

Crying out, Shinji charged at Yagi. Again they swung their weapons at each other, dodging and blocking. Shinji pushed and Yagi pushed harder. Shinji raised his free hand and tried to grab onto Yagi's black hair. Yagi pulled away and threw his weapon again. Shinji knocked it aside with his sword and stepped to the right as another one came at his chest.

"Sooner or later you're going to run out of those things."

"Not before I end you."

"Shinji!" Ichigo yelled.

He turned. "I'm not Shinji. I'm just borrowing him."

Ichigo ignored him. "Get out of there! Quick!"

"Get out of..?" He looked down. The weapons Yagi had thrown were sticking up in the ground in a circle pattern which Shinji happened to be standing in the middle of. "Wait a minute." It wasn't a circle. It was a trap.

Yagi tipped the bottle in his hand over onto one of the weapons nearest to him. "Sprenger."

Shinji's shoulders dropped. "Damn, I'm an idiot." Yagi had thrown those weapons on purpose but not to injure him. He threw them in specific locations just for this attack.

Rukia turned away from the blast but Ichigo couldn't take his eyes off Shinji as he was engulfed in a flaming electric light. He could hear Shinji screaming in agony but could do nothing to help.

The light and screaming stopped. Shinji stood in the center of the smoking blades, his clothes tattered and his skin charred. He wobbled and swayed and finally tipped over. He fell on his back, smoke escaping from his open mouth.

"Captain Hirako!" Rukia stood up and ran to his side.

Halfway there, she stopped and turned. Yagi was coming closer to Ichigo. She had to go back. Ichigo couldn't defend himself.

As she started to turn back, someone grabbed her arm and held her back. "Leader is losing patience and so am I."

Mordere was still alive. He wrapped his stubby arm around Rukia's chest and held her arm with his only hand. Blood from his wounds smeared and dropped onto Rukia's clothes making her feel sticky. She thought with him being so severely injured it would be easy to break free but she couldn't. From this position she couldn't break away and his strength was astounding. Mordere was on his last legs and he still possessed this kind of strength.

Yagi stepped closer and Ichigo tried to stand to defend himself. His legs weren't working. What little strength he had was quickly draining out of him. He couldn't stand.

"No!" Rukia shouted, pulling against Mordere's grip. "Get away from him!"

Shinji's eyes opened. They were his again. He winced, his body in terrible pain. "What the hell happened to me?"

"Get away from him!"

He heard Rukia's voice and turned his head to the right. She was being held back by a terribly injured Mordere. Yagi was closing in on Ichigo who didn't have the strength to run away or to fight. Shinji was in no better position himself. His body couldn't move either. Seeing what was happening around him, he knew he had to do something.

Maybe he had enough strength for just one last attack. It was about all he could do now. He gripped his Zanpakuto tightly with his right hand. "Collapse, Sakanade."

Yagi stopped, standing in front of Ichigo. He smiled at him as if he were watching a baby attempt to crawl for the first time. His pleasant expression brought Ichigo no comfort. He knew it spelled nothing but trouble for him.

"Look at you. Pathetic. What a shameless display you are."

Ichigo growled at him.

"Ooh, touchy. Did I say something to upset you? You shouldn't be so sensitive."

"Screw you."

Yagi laughed. "Reduced to such words. How amusing. But I suppose you can't do much else at this point. You can't even move. Maybe I should just put you out of your misery now."

Rukia pulled against Mordere to get to Ichigo but it was no use.

"But I would much rather have them do the job for me." Yagi conjured up a bow from his hand. "However, getting you into Hollow form won't take much. Just a little pain should do the trick. If I injure you, something might take place. I'd like to see that."

Ichigo crawled backwards but his arms were so shaky he couldn't get far. They couldn't support his weight and kept slipping out from under him.

"Pain might cause the Hollow to take control again or it just might weaken you enough to make it easier for it to take over again. Either way works for me." He took aim at Ichigo. "Again, you brought this on yourself. If only you had just given up when you had the chance and not bother fighting. See what your resistance has brought you?"

Ichigo kept his eyes on Yagi, refusing to look away. If Yagi was going to attack him, he wanted to see it coming.

Yagi released his arrow but it didn't hit Ichigo. "What?" Yagi stepped forward but when he did, Ichigo got further away rather than closer. "What? What is this?" No matter where he stepped, something was off. It didn't make sense. Now it looked like Ichigo was upside-down. The sky was under him and the ground was above.

There was a sweet scent on the air.

Yagi growled. "Is this your doing, Captain?"

Shinji twirled his weapon around his hand, his arm raised off the ground. He was targeting only Yagi with his ability. No one else was effected. "Just thought I'd give you a little bit of a challenge."

"Confusing my senses. Very cute." Yagi turned to face what he thought was Shinji. It was hard to tell at this point what was real and what wasn't. "You've tried this before to no avail. Do you really think this will be enough to stop me?"

"Not for long, but it will do the trick."

Yagi scoffed. "What if I fire in all directions? Something is bound to hit Ichigo." Yagi held up his index finger, as if to silence Shinji before he could answer. "Ah, but wait. Isn't it true that your ability can also confuse what I interpret to be one direction or the other? So if I aim in what I think is the opposite of where I want, it won't necessarily be what I think. Everything is screwed up, isn't that right?"

"Do you always ask questions you know the answer to?" asked Shinji from the ground.

Yagi shrugged. "I've managed to see through your deception before. This time is no different. Even if that were so, there is always a way around it. If you were taken out of the picture, then everything will go back to normal." Yagi snapped his fingers. "Mordere, take care of that troublesome Captain so we may move on."

"Yes, sir." Mordere was not effected by Shinji's Zanpakuto so he knew exactly where he was. All he had to do was keep Rukia from attacking.

Coming up with a fast solution, Mordere tossed her in Shinji's direction, hoping she would land on his sword and stop its rotation. Rukia was thrown but she didn't land where he thought. She landed on Shinji's legs instead.

She quickly stood up and drew her sword to stop him. Mordere was getting closer. She looked to the side and saw Yagi getting dangerously close to Ichigo. Shinji's ability had done little to slow him down. He was still going for Ichigo. Confusing his senses wasn't enough.

"Let's get this over with."

Rukia had an idea. If she attacked Mordere directly, their battle could go on just like it did with Veneno. She didn't have time to waste on him when Ichigo was seconds away from serious injury. Mordere could keep going despite his injuries. He was also fiercely loyal to Yagi. This plan could work.

"Tusgi no mai, Hakuren!" She aimed not at Mordere but at Yagi.

Mordere watched the attack and called out a warning to his leader.

Yagi saw the attack coming and stepped aside, thinking it was coming from the opposite direction he perceived. If it looked like it was coming from the front, it was actually coming from behind. Everything was reversed. He had Shinji's ability all figured out.

That was what he thought up until he saw that Shinji was no longer using his Zanpakuto. It lay motionless beside him. This wasn't a trick. Yagi had stepped directly in its path, thinking it was coming from somewhere else.

Then something else caught his attention. A cero following close behind Rukia's attack. Veneno was right behind her, propping himself up on both arms. He was still alive. She gave her sword another swing and more ice followed in the cero's path. Yagi grit his teeth at the combined attack.

"Leader!"

Mordere came running from where he stood and threw himself into Yagi's side. He pushed Yagi out of the way and took the attack himself. Mordere was swallowed up by the triple attack and disappeared. At the same time, Yagi escaped unharmed.

Rukia shielded herself from the blast with her arm and Veneno fell back onto the ground, hiding behind his pincers. Shinji turned his head away as ice shards and rocks pelted him. Ichigo watched woozily from where he sat. He could barely remain upright from the blast and from the weakness in his arms.

When the smoke and dust settled, Mordere lay on the ground, his already battered body mangled from the attack. He was dead.

Yagi sat on the ground, staring at the body of his companion. He was alive thanks to Mordere. If it weren't for him, Yagi was certain he would not have survived. He couldn't escape the attack in time. Mordere had saved his life.

Despite this, Yagi didn't look the least bit emotional over Mordere's death. He looked shocked when Mordere had pushed him out of the way but that was about it. Even seeing Mordere's dead body laying at his feet brought him no tears or a look of anger.

Yagi turned back to the others. "Looks like I'm still here."

"Not for long!" Veneno fired another cero.

Rukia ducked seeing it sail over her head and straight at Yagi. It was going to be a direct hit.

Yagi grabbed Mordere's body and held it in front of his own, using his corpse as a shield.

Ichigo watched open-mouthed. Yagi was the shameless one. His ally was already dead and now he used his body to take the brunt of the blast for him.

Yagi hid himself behind Mordere's corpse and let the cero come. When it was over, Mordere's body was obliterated. There was barely anything left. Yagi dropped hm like a sack of trash and when Mordere's charred arm hit his shoe, he kicked it aside. The hand broke apart and crumbled away like a burnt piece of wood.

"Is that all you've got?" he asked them.

Ichigo remained upright from sheer anger alone. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

Yagi turned to him. "Wrong with me?"

"He was loyal to you! Mordere sacrificed himself for you! And you treat him like that?!" Ichigo's head started to spin. He braced himself on his right arm, trying not to fall over. "What are they to you? What the hell..?"

Yagi gave him a cold look. "I didn't ask him to do that. He did it on his own. What would you have me do? It doesn't make him any less dead. I'm sure he wouldn't mind. He used his body to protect me willingly, so he shouldn't have a problem if I use it for the same thing after he's dead."

"Have you no respect?"

"He's dead. Who cares? So long as I'm alive, who cares what happens?"

Ichigo wanted to punch him. He wanted to stand up and attack him. He wanted to wipe that smug look off his face and shut him up for good. Even if they were his enemy, he still had a sense of respect. He never attacked someone who couldn't fight back and he never attacked someone when they were down. He would never use his friends as a shield nor would he do that to an opponent. Not in the way Yagi just did. Yagi wasn't honorable at all. What Mordere saw in him was beyond Ichigo.

Mordere had told him that he was loyal to Quincies because he was one himself. He would always take their side no matter what. Even to a man like Yagi. As far as Mordere was concerned Yagi could do no wrong. Being a Quincy justified everything he did. Every action was good in his eyes. To Mordere, Yagi was worth saving simply because he was a Quincy. As far as Ichigo was concerned, Yagi had no redeeming qualities. Mordere was just blind and deaf to anything else. Anything and anyone who was not a Quincy was an enemy, no matter their character.

"Even someone like you..." Ichigo struggled to get up but couldn't. His body was weakening again. "He was working for the enemy but he couldn't see that because you were a Quincy like him. He was..."

"You pity your enemy?" scoffed Yagi. "How pitiful."

"Shut the hell up." Ichigo tried to stand. "I'll kill you. I swear I will. The way you treat people, even your own men... The things you've done... I'll-"

Ichigo fell over. His body had given out on him. He couldn't move.

Taking advantage of this, Yagi started to approach. He stopped when he saw Veneno stand and scuttle over to him, still in his release form. Rukia had her sword at the ready and wasn't injured. Shinji was still able to move his arm and Yagi knew there was another Captain hiding somewhere with Linnette. Without Mordere, he was alone.

Yagi knew he was outmatched and fled. He gave them a warning look and flashed away. He would attack later when there were less of them or when he had someone else willing to fight at his side.

Rukia lowered her sword, letting out the breath she had been holding. She didn't expect Yagi to give up so easily but it was possible that he knew he was outmatched, even with so many of them down. He was a coward. She knew it was true after seeing him hide behind his fallen friend rather than attempt to get out of the way of an attack. He was despicable.

"Ichigo, are you ok?" she asked, seeing him sitting weakly on the ground further away.

"I'm fine. Is Shinji?"

She turned back to check.

"You're an idiot," he told her before she could ask. "Why the hell did you come over here when you know you should be protecting Ichigo? He can't defend himself. Why the hell would you leave his side, even to check on a fallen Captain?"

Rukia realized he wasn't talking about this moment. He was referring to before when Mordere had a hold of her. "You were conscious when that happened?"

"I pieced it together. I'm not an idiot. But you are. You should know better than that. Think! Ichigo's in a vulnerable state. He can't-"

"You're lucky to be alive!" Rukia scolded. "When I saw that attack hit you, I was worried we had lost a Captain. Besides, the way Yagi's acting, I knew he wouldn't kill Ichigo. Not after all this trouble."

"But any injury to him could be deadly now that he's this weak. Even if Yagi only injures him to invoke the Hollow form, he could end up killing him without meaning to. He's already in a weakened state. It won't take much."

"I get that. But I-"

What stopped her from continuing was a strange crackling sound from Shinji's left. She looked up and saw Veneno's release form begin to crack. Fissures traveled up his pincer and fragments started to crumble to dust. Steam hissed, escaping from the cracks in his armor and within seconds, Veneno was engulfed. By the time the steam cleared, Veneno was standing in his original form. He took one step then toppled over onto the ground.

Rukia stepped over Shinji and over to Veneno. "Are you ok?" She was worried his injuries were far worse than Shinji's.

To her relief, Veneno's injuries had healed. He was just weakened from the battle and needed rest.

He turned his head to look at her. "How do I look? Am I bleeding? Missing anything important?"

"No, you seem fine."

Veneno rested his head on the ground. "That's good," he said to the dirt. "What I wouldn't give for a sandwich."

Rukia couldn't help but laugh. "Really? That's what you're thinking about now after that fight?"

"I could also use a massage, but I didn't think you'd volunteer. Ichigo might get jealous, seeing his girlfriend touching me like that."

Rukia slapped the side of his head. "Stop saying that!"

"The more you deny, the more it's true." Veneno chuckled to himself. "Then could I at least get some juice?"

Rukia was smiling again. Veneno had a way of easing the tension of the moment. He had been furious a few minutes ago and now he was cracking jokes and asking for a snack. Rukia had been worried about him a moment ago and now all she could do was smile and shake her head, no longer concerned. Now there was a sense that everything was going to be alright.

"Veneno... Thank you."

He lifted his head again. "For what?"

"For fighting as hard as you did. And for combining your attack with mine. You did very well. We couldn't have done it without you."

Veneno smiled. "Of course. But I didn't do it for praise. I did it for Ichigo and the rest of my friends." Veneno rested his head on the ground again. "Thanks to you guys, I finally understand why you would fight like this for each other. I know how you feel. Now I feel it myself. And I like this feeling. I finally understand." His let out a sigh and said, "Thanks for that."

Rukia stroked the top of his head in gratitude and understanding. Then she turned back to look at Ichigo. He was still sitting there, watching them like a cat on a stoop.

If it weren't for Ichigo, Veneno would most likely not be the person he is now. He would have never understood friendship or become an ally.

She turned and looked at Linnette crouched over Rojuro's body.

The same was true for her. If Ichigo hadn't given her a chance and done what he did for her, she might not be here as a trusted friend and ally.

Now they were both here fighting their hardest for Ichigo. Rukia herself was fighting for him and so was Shinji. Everyone was here fighting for Ichigo because of what he did for them. Because they trusted and cared for him. His friends were here to help him because he did everything he could to help them. Now they were returning the favor.

Rukia stood up and went back to help Shinji. With two Captains down and now Veneno exhausted from fighting, Rukia and Linnette were the only ones left who could still move. Rukia was the only one who could still fight. It was a heavy burden but she would have to do it. She had to look after them all.

With the lock-down still in place, she knew no one was coming to help them. She couldn't take the injured back to the Seireitei on her own. Linnette wouldn't be able to carry anyone back so Rukia couldn't ask her to help. Even if she could, Rukia couldn't bring Ichigo with them. The whole point of this was to keep him away from the Seireitei. She couldn't leave him alone so she would have to take him along which defeated the purpose. The only other option was for them to split up and have someone stay behind with Ichigo while the rest went back to the Seireitei. The only problem with that was who would stay behind. If Rukia left Linnette, she couldn't fight to protect Ichigo and everyone else was too injured to assist her. If Rukia stayed behind, who would bring the injured to the Seireitei? This was a conundrum.

"Just give him to me."

Rukia spun around. Yagi was back. He was standing right behind her. She fumbled for her sword, but Yagi grabbed her wrist.

"Did you really think I left?" Yagi wasn't smiling. He was glaring at her.

He had lost his patience and no longer found humor in taunting them. He knew time was running out and didn't have time to play with them anymore. He had to take this seriously.

"Who would I bring with me? One of my men is dead, the other is a traitor and the other two are already launching an attack on your beloved Seireitei."

"What?"

"I couldn't wait around for Ichigo forever. Something had to be done. I gave them the ok to move in and begin."

Rukia tried to pull her hand free but he had a solid grip on her. "There's no way they'll get in. The gate is closed. No one is allowed to leave..." Rukia realized the loophole. "But anyone can get in. They'll only open the gate to let someone inside."

"Exactly."

Rukia shot him a look. "But there's a reason for that. If the gate is open, they'll have lots of guards there to defend it. Strength in numbers. They'll see who's coming in and be able to stop them. Sending in just two against our numbers... They won't stand a chance. There will be too many for them to handle. It will be heavily guarded."

"Exactly." Yagi's smile was back. "The two I sent do well against large numbers. Send all the men you want at them; it will just make their jobs easier. The more you send, the quicker they'll win. We'll have the Seireitei in no time at this rate."

Rukia tried to think of the remaining men Yagi had left. Mordere was dead, Sharif was part Hollow and had decided to rebel. The only two remaining were...

"The blood-user Zalya," Rukia gasped.

"Right again, girl. All he has to do is cut them and it's all over. Or cut himself. Blood is power to him. Yaku is with him."

"The man with the mirror."

"Yes. Face it. They are too powerful for any of you to handle. Keep sending men at them. They'll be slaughtered in droves."

Rukia thought of the people back at the Seireitei who would be caught in the attack. Soul Reapers who were already injured would be prime targets. Too many Soul Reapers hadn't recovered yet from past fights with these Quincies. There were many other unprepared Soul Reapers who would walk right into their trap. She pictured Renji and Byakuya attempting to fight these men and being overwhelmed within seconds. She couldn't see her brother being so easily defeated but either of these two men would be able to render him powerless with their abilities. One could make him too depressed to move and be no longer willing to defend himself. The other... Byakya's weapon cuts. It drew blood. How would he be able to defeat Zalya? Not even Kido worked on him. What could he do?

"Just make this easy on yourself and hand over Ichigo," demanded Yagi. "I haven't got all day. At the rate he's going, Ichigo won't survive the day."

Rukia's heart sank. Ichigo wouldn't last much longer. He wouldn't make it to this evening.

"Once he becomes a Hollow again, he'll sluaghter you all and I'll be there to see it. If by some miracle he returns to his senses, he'll get to see his good work. I can only imagine what such a sight would do to him. If not, then you have a simple choice. Either you kill him or have yourselves be killed."

"You're cruel!"

"Are you finally getting that? It's only..." Yagi looked over Rukia's head and his face fell in a mixture of shock and confusion. "Where is he?"

Rukia turned around. Ichigo was gone. He wasn't able to stand so it was impossible for him to escape on his own.

Yagi started to crush her hand in his grip. "What is he?!"

"I don't know!" Rukia hadn't a clue.

Ichigo couldn't have become a Hollow again. If he had, he would have attacked them, not run off. He was so weak he wouldn't have been able to get away in his current state. No one could figure it out.

Then they noticed something else. Veneno was also missing.

"That damn little..." Yagi threw Rukia to the ground. "He's taking him away hoping I won't find him. Damn it, I don't have time for this." Yagi flashed away, this time to search for the missing Soul Reaper and Arrancar.

"You have to go after them," said Shinji to Rukia.

"How? I don't even know where they went."

"Veneno knows not to take Ichigo to the Seireitei. So he must be traveling away from there. He's also in a weakened state so he couldn't have gotten far. I can't move right now so it's up to you."

There was no time to waste. Though she had no idea where to begin, she had to choose quickly and go there. Ichigo's life was on the line. "Linnette, watch over these two. I'm going to find Ichigo and Veneno." With one hand on her sword, Rukia took off, hoping the direction she chose was the right one.

* * *

The ground moved under him in fading blurs. Ichigo's vision was fading again. He couldn't feel his body moving yet he could see the ground passing under him as he traveled. He tried to turn his head but couldn't. He saw his hand dangling over the ground. His feet were dangling as well. It was then that he realized he was being carried.

His body ached. His limbs were numb. His head was spinning. He felt weak.

His hearing returned and he heard slow footsteps crunching on the hard soil. His head bounced slightly at the slow, careful footsteps. Whoever was carrying him did not want to hurt him. If this person chose to run, his head would have been slammed multiple times by the bumpy ride. Ichigo was too weak to brace himself.

They reached an area with trees and Ichigo felt them come to a stop. The person carrying him stepped down and Ichigo could feel his hands touch his burning body. He was being lowered to the ground.

With arms supporting his head and back, he was set down and gently placed in a lying position. As soon as he was on the ground, he caught a glimpse of the one carrying him.

"Hang in there, Ichigo," said Veneno. "Just hold on a little longer."

Ichigo couldn't answer him. His mouth would not move and his voice had disappeared.

"Just hold on." Veneno put his hand on Ichigo's forehead. His temperature had not gone down. Veneno hated seeing Ichigo like this but there was nothing he could do.

Ichigo wheezed, trying to say something, but Veneno had turned away. He was desperate to help him but was at a loss for how to do it.

Only one thing came to mind. Maybe it wouldn't cure him, but it would ensure he would not be put through this again. Veneno had destroyed the lab. The only thing left to destroy was the scientist. He had to eliminate Yagi. Once he was done away with, he could never hurt Ichigo or anyone else again.

Veneno turned back and placed Ichigo's sword next to his body. "Just hang in there a little longer. I'll be right back. Don't give up yet." Veneno stood up and turned away.

After making sure no one was around, he left Ichigo in what he thought was a safe place and ran off to find Yagi. Even if he was tired from his earlier fight, he had to stop Yagi. He had to stop him once and for all. He felt it would help Ichigo, even if only in a small way.

Yagi had to be defeated.

* * *

Please review! ^-^


	29. Chapter 29

**Chapter: 29**

Only a fraction of the Seireitei was in a panic. The rest were either oblivious to what was happening or were on the ground in crumpled heaps. Much of the Seireitei was quiet, which was how Yaku liked it. The constant shouting from men barking orders and those who obeyed them gave him a headache. To him, it was all a pointless show. With his mirror, those men were silenced in a matter of seconds. Whether they came at him or not, the outcome would be the same.

"Halt! Stop right there, you!"

"Negative Image." Yaku pointed the mirror at the Soul Reaper at his side.

His mirror made up for his lack of depth perception. No matter how far or close they were, as long as the mirror found them, it would always be a direct hit. With this mirror's power, he was unstoppable. No one could touch him.

* * *

"Look. It's another one."

Kira looked at the Soul Reaper on the ground, moaning a lament to his own weakness. "Do you think this Quincy is stopping them now and coming back for them later? These guys seem to want us all dead, so for him to leave them alive is strange."

"I think he is going to circle back and finish the job," answered Hisagi. "He probably wants to immobilize them first. He might waste time killing them and get himself caught by those who haven't been effected yet. That's why he's doing it this way. Once everyone is in this state, no one will be able to stop him and he can finish us off as he pleases."

Kira gulped. Not only was the enemy smart, he possessed an incredible power. One he had never faced before. "Captain Hitsugaya spoke about this guy and his power. He faced him before."

"Yeah. It's a good thing he shared what he had learned when he faced this guy on the off chance we would also run into him."

"He said it was the mirror that did it. That's what we have to look out for. We can't risk getting caught in that mirror. Otherwise..."

"We'll end up like these guys. I know." Hisagi was fearful of the enemy as well. After seeing what it did, he knew the dangers of getting hit with such a simple and deadly weapon. "Stay alert, Kira. Keep on your toes."

"Not a problem."

They sprinted to the enemy, knowing exactly where he was heading.

* * *

Yaku looked around at his new surroundings. He was no longer in the streets of the Seireitei. This was an open field. "I shouldn't have expected the whole place to be a city," he said to himself. "Not everything in the Seireitei can be paved in stone."

He walked for a short distance and turned back to look at the white walls and buildings making up much of the Soul Reapers' home. He didn't expect to find many Soul Reapers out this far and doubted he would run into any if he kept going in this direction. It was certainly quieter, but that also meant fewer people to attack. Perhaps if he stayed here long enough, Soul Reapers would come to him. Being in such an open area, he would easily spot them. With no walls or buildings, there was very little cover for them. They wouldn't be able to hide. Yaku didn't want to wait around so heading back into the main dwelling area where most of the Soul Reapers were located seemed to be his best option when it came to taking out as many as possible.

Unlike Zalya, Yaku liked thinking of a plan ahead of time rather than wing it as the blood-user commonly did. That way, he would not get painted into a corner. He tried to map out his location and compare it to the most populated locations in the Seireitei. He didn't want to rush into something he couldn't finish. Targeting a Captain was both wise and foolish. Taking down a Captain was something they had to do and it was an excellent strategic move. However, a Captain would be strong. No doubt the one he fought before had already spread the word about his abilities to other Captains, so they would all be very cautious.

Should he remain where he was or should he move to a more populated location? Over time, Soul Reapers would come to him. If he traveled to where they were, he wouldn't have to wait as long but he could get overwhelmed if he ran into too many or into a powerful Captain.

Around the corner, Hisagi and Kira crouched down to hide behind the wall separating the paved streets with the natural soil. On the other side of this wall was a wide open area and their enemy. Moving to such a location was extremely risky with such an enemy. There would be nowhere to hide from that mirror. Staying here wasn't an option either. Their weapons weren't long-range so they wouldn't be able to attack from such a distance.

"If we spring out real quick, maybe we can get the jump on him while his back is turned."

"But if we do that, we risk him using that mirror of his. And there will be nowhere to hide."

Hisagi and Kira tried to think of a plan.

"I've got an idea," said Hisagi. "We can use Kido to bind him. We'll restrain him and while he can't move, we'll jump out and attack."

"I thought that Kido didn't work on these guys..."

"No, that's just the blood-user. Thank God we're not fighting him."

Kira nodded. "Sounds like a good plan. Once he's retained, we'll have a better chance. Let's do this."

Hisagi was going to make the first move. From this distance, he was certain Kido would work. He could easily use it and duck down behind the wall again for cover. "Bakudo 62, Hyapporankan!"

He threw the rod of light at Yaku's back which then split into multiple other rods. They flew at Yaku with precision and speed.

"Reflect." Yaku held up the mirror, having it face behind him.

The rods were absorbed by the mirror and shot back at the caster. Hisagi ducked behind the wall as his own attack came back at him.

"Crap!" Kido may have effected this Quincy, but with that mirror, the enemy made sure no attacks would reach him.

"It's just as Ikkaku described," said Kira. "It wasn't that Kido didn't effect the Quincy. It was that his powers could still move without him doing anything. That other guy used the blood to free himself from the Kido attack. This guy's just using the mirror to make sure he won't get hit. It's basically the same thing."

"And now he knows we're here. What do we do now?"

"Might as well come out," called Yaku. "I don't have all day and I'd rather get the hell out of here before Ichigo shows up to rampage."

Kira and Hisagi looked at each other. Was that why Yaku had left all those people on the ground rather than kill them? Was he planning to have Ichigo do the work for him? They weren't sure, but they couldn't let this Quincy go. They couldn't let the enemy do whatever they wanted. This had to stop.

For a moment, Kira and Hisagi were cast in shadow. They looked up to see several Soul Reapers rushing to Yaku. They jumped over the two Lieutenants to get at the enemy.

"Wait! Don't!" Hisagi knew rushing the enemy wouldn't do any good. It was just making Yaku's job easier.

"Prepare yourself, Quincy! This is for our fallen comrades!"

Yaku calmly raised his mirror. "Negative Image."

Every Soul Reaper fell out of the sky and landed on the ground in defeat. Yaku stood above them unscathed.

Kira watched the whole thing happen and swallowed hard. He had the urge to run. He couldn't face such an enemy and expect to win. Everyone who got close to Yaku ended up on the ground. There was no hope to defeat such an enemy. Attacking at a distance was something he couldn't do with his Zanpakuto and Kido would just be bounced back at him. Yaku couldn't be hit. With that mirror, he would send people running or collapsing on the ground.

Kira shook himself, trying to get those thoughts out of his head. He was a Lieutenant. He was stronger than he gave himself credit for and he had faced powerful enemies before and won. Yaku was no different. He had to face this enemy and take him down.

If they didn't, Yaku would continue to use that mirror and before long everyone would be unable to move. The entire Seireitei would fall. Kira couldn't let that happen. He had to fight. He had to shove down those thoughts and be brave.

Hisagi looked around the corner, trying to organize a plan of attack. If they left this spot, there would be nowhere to hide. Yaku was out in the open. If they did nothing, Yaku would continue using that power to take down everyone. They had to defeat him here before anyone else was effected. Despite the lack of cover, being in such a location had some benefits for them and shortcomings for Yaku. Being out here meant fewer Soul Reapers to attack. It would buy them some time before other Soul Reapers came to this area. The way Hisagi saw it, it meant that Yaku wouldn't be able to take down the Seireitei as quickly as he had intended. They had some time.

"I have another idea," said Hisagi. "Kira, use Kido on the ground and give us some cover. A blast on the dry soil should stir up a dust cloud. When that happens, we move. You go right and I'll go left."

"But a direct attack won't work," warned Kira.

Hisagi shook his head. "I noticed something. He has to point that mirror in the direction he wishes to use it. He can't attack multiple directions at once. If we each go a different way and attack from different sides, he can't get us both."

"So you want one to act as bait and the other to attack?" Kira was very worried. If that was Hisagi's plan then that meant one of them would be sacrificed. That was a frightening thought.

"It might be enough to confuse him. As long as we get in one good attack, it will all be worth it. We just have to get close enough to land a hit. He can't point that mirror in two directions at once. I'll draw his attention and you attack. How about that?"

"We don't even know how fast this guy is. What if he's able to hit us both but at different times? Bam, you. Bam, me. All over in two seconds."

"Would it kill you to look at the bright side for once, Kira?"

"It might if it means getting hit by that mirror."

Yaku waited, knowing there were others. He kept his mirror in front of his chest and waited.

There was a flash of red light and the ground exploded. A huge dust cloud spread into the air, blocking his view of the Seireitei walls fencing in the many streets. He knew they were using this as a cover so they could change locations. He stared straight ahead. Behind the cloud, he could see shadows moving. One Soul Reaper was heading to his left. Yaku raised his mirror to attack.

He heard footsteps behind him. "Ah?" He turned around and saw Hisagi at his back. His mirror was pointed the wrong direction. He couldn't attack in time. Yaku dashed forward to avoid getting hit. Hisagi's weapon scratched the earth where he had been standing.

Yaku turned the mirror around and took aim. At the same time he sensed someone behind him. He dove to the side as Kira attacked. As he flipped the mirror around, he saw Hisagi aiming an attack at his left shoulder. Kira was still on his right.

"Damn." Yaku backed away, trying to escape the attack. His head whipped from left to right. When he aimed at one, the other would attack from another location. He couldn't attack and defend at the same time. If he used his mirror on one, then he would end up taking the hit is partner was attempting to inflect. He was forced to retreat.

Kira and Hisagi were in perfect sync. Sometimes they would attack at exactly the same time. Sometimes they would switch roles, having one attack and when the mirror was turned on them the other one would attack to distract Yaku. So far this method was working. Yaku couldn't use his mirror.

It was a good plan but so far neither of them were able to land a hit. They could only prevent Yaku from using his mirror. Nothing was actually getting done. It was a stalemate.

Yaku flashed away and attempted to use his mirror now that he had some distance between them. Kira and Hisagi were too far away from each other. No doubt they were doing that on purpose to prevent him from using his mirror on both of them at once.

Hisagi saw that there was no way out of this. This fight would continue to be a stalemate if he didn't do something to change the battle. He didn't want to but he had little choice. It would give him an edge and extend his reach. "Reap..."

Yaku turned and saw Hisagi's weapon change. He took one look at the double scythes connected by a long chain and was able to assess the danger. This new weapon gave Hisagi a longer reach and doubled his power. Now he had to watch from three directions instead of only two. He had to keep an eye on Kira, Hisagi and this deadly weapon.

"Oh, how depressing..."

Hisagi threw his weapon at Yaku who jumped. The scythe spun like a disk under his body. Yaku aimed the mirror at Hisagi's body, hoping to render him powerless quickly. As soon as he adjusted his mirror, he felt a sharp pain in his right hip. He cried out in pain and saw blood spray from the wound in his side. The scythe followed the trail of blood back to Hisagi who caught it with ease. He had his weapon return to him by pulling the chain it was connected to, cutting Yaku in the process.

"Dammit, I was careless. I knew to watch out for that weapon but I took a reckless chance. How depressing." He pressed a hand to his wound to see how deep it was. This wasn't a fatal injury by any means but he might need a few stitches. It wasn't too deep and all his organs were missed. He got off lucky. Just another inch would have had different results.

Kira swung at Yaku's head and he ducked. He squatted down and spun, kicking Kira's legs out from under him. Kira fell onto his side and Yaku turned the mirror on him. Before he could use it, he heard the shrill sound of a spinning blade cutting the air behind him. Yaku jumped, hoping the weapon would miss him and hit Kira instead.

Yaku escaped but his wish to see Kira implaed did not come true. At the last moment before impact, Hisagi yanked the chain and called his weapon back to his hand. Kira was not harmed.

"How depressing."

Kira got to his feet and moved away from Hisagi to make sure Yaku could not attack them both. So far things were going better than he expected. Kira was hopeful that if things kept going the way they were, they might end up winning.

* * *

After running another test on a potential cure for Ichigo's condition and failing, Mayuri had to admit defeat. He had every intention of trying again but he had promised Victor that he would contact Kisuke for help. It wasn't something he would normally agree to but time was running out and Mayuri was smart enough to know he didn't stand a chance against Victor in a battle of any sort. He was also tired of the glares and the verbal warnings from the man in the white suit.

With little choice, Mayuri contacted Kisuke. A screen lit up on one of the monitors and warbled. Nothing but static and a high pitched whining sound. Then an image appeared on the screen. Mayuri stepped in front of the monitor and waited, his expression anything but pleasant.

"Hello? Hello?" came Kisuke's voice. "Someone contacting me? Hello? Yoo-hoo!"

His image appeared on the screen. Kisuke was wearing his hat and his green coat. He was hunched over peering at the screen. It seemed the device he was using was close to the ground. The monitor Mayuri was using was up higher so he and Victor had to look up. From this position, it really did look like Kisuke was looking down at them from the perspective of a giant.

"Oh, hey!" Kisuke greeted them with a smile. "What's up? I didn't expect to see you guys. Oh, and you, too, Mayuri. How have you been? Long time, no see. You're the last person I expected to contact me."

Mayuri's disposition did not change in the slightest, even in the presence of Kisuke's cheerful tone. His happy and bubbly tone and smiling face only soured Mayuri further.

"There's good reason for that. If I had my choice I wouldn't have called you at all," Mayuri said through his teeth. He took a deep breath and growled out the words, "I need your help."

Kisuke put a hand to his ear. "What's that? You mumbled."

"Screw you and the-"

"Mayuri," Victor said in a warning tone. He was giving him a stern look.

The Captain sighed again. "I said... I need your... your help..."

"Oh?" Kisuke's expression became more serious. He was no longer smiling, but his eyes were filled with a child-like wonder. He was curious. "What sort of help?"

"For the sake of time, allow me to explain," said Victor, stepping forward. He knew Mayuri would be less than willing and he would take far too long to explain the situation. "There's an enemy here who stole my Hollow serum and altered it into a deadly poison and injected Ichigo with it. Now he's running amok, attacking anyone in his path. Not only that, but he's running out of time. The serum is a poison, as I explained. It's sucking the life out of Ichigo. He will die if we do not come up with a cure."

Kisuke frowned, now looking completely serious. He understood how dire the situation was. "I see."

"What's this about Ichigo?" came a voice.

"Is there someone with you?" asked Victor. He knew there was someone else in the room but he could not see them. He was hoping to be introduced by calling attention to the second voice.

"Oh, yeah. Uryu is with me." Kisuke looked over his shoulder at the person with him. The side of Uryu's head came into view but he kept himself hidden as much as possible. It seemed he didn't want to be on screen. "Yeah, he stopped by today because Ichigo was not in class. He wanted to know if there was some sort of business going on and why he wasn't informed."

"I only stopped by to ask because Orihime was concerned," Uryu insisted. "And if there is Hollow business going on, I have a right to know. I want to be informed."

Kisuke turned back to the screen. "Anyway... How's Ichigo's condition?"

"Not good," said Victor. "He's in a bad way and getting worse. I haven't seen him recently, but according to those who have seen him, he's on his last legs. Linnette cannot calm him down. She tried, and the Quincy told us that he was too advanced to control at this point. He made sure of that."

"Wait. What Quincy?"

"Oh, of course. You do not know. The enemy is a Quincy. He injected Ichigo with the poisonous serum in order to kill him slowly. He also did it so Ichigo would rampage and kill as many people as possible."

"He what?" Kisuke leaned closer to the screen.

"Yes. The enemy Quincy said that his intention was to not only kill Ichigo by use of this serum, but to have him kill his friends and many innocent people. This way we would be left with two options. Either the Soul Reapers let Ichigo kill them or they have to kill him or order to protect themselves and others. The serum is killing him anyway. Very slowly and painfully. The more time we take, the closer he comes to death. Soon, we may not have a choice but to kill him. He's getting closer to where people live. The Head Captain said that he will give us some time to come up with a cure, but we don't have long."

"Have you come up with anything yet?" asked Kisuke.

"No. That is why we need your help. Not only are we running out of time before the Head Captain gives the order to kill him, but Ichigo's time is short. If something isn't done soon, it could be the end of him." Victor sighed. "We also learned that the more Ichigo resists the Hollow transformation, the faster it will kill him. The more fight he puts up, the weaker he becomes. He doesn't have long."

"By my calculations," said Mayuri, "he'll be dead before morning. He'll be lucky if he makes it to this evening."

"Way to stay positive." Kisuke turned away, thinking. After a moment, he nodded and faced the screen again. "Can I see what you've done so far? Show me your notes and any progress you've made."

"No way!" Mayuri covered a second monitor with his arm. "Get your own data! These are mine and if you think for one second that you-"

"Mayuri!" Victor snapped.

Mayuri and Kisuke both flinched. Victor's voice was usually so calm and pleasant. Even when he was angry, his voice had a charismatic lilt to it. Hearing him snap like that was something no one had heard before. It was enough to frighten even Mayuri.

Victor held Mayuri in his gaze. That blue-eyed glare had Mayuri paralyzed. He would not back down. He was as unmovable as a mountain.

Rolling his eyes, Mayuri lowered his arm, grumbling to himself. He allowed Kisuke to view his notes.

"Fine, fine... It's the only way to get this done. I know, I know... Here, I'll send you the rest." Mayuri brushed Victor on his way and glared at him. "Brat," he growled as he passed him by.

Victor did not take action against the insult. He would be a gentleman. Now was neither the time nor the place anyway. They had to save Ichigo. That was their top priority.

Whatever history Kisuke and Mayuri had was not important. They put aside their differences and set to work on saving Ichigo's life. Together, they would do this. They had to.

* * *

Kira and Hisagi struck with their weapons, Yaku caught in the middle. He quickly ducked and their swords clanged together. The sound of metal grating on metal rang out. They sprang apart to look for the enemy.

Yaku was running away. They both chased after him but made sure they were not close to each other. That way if Yaku turned around to use his mirror, the both of them would not be hit at the same time. They both knew that was why he was running away. It wasn't to escape. It was to gain some distance so he could use his weapon. The further he was, the more targets he could capture in his mirror's surface.

Just as they predicted, Yaku turned around and pointed the mirror at them. They were too close to him and too far from each other. He could only catch one of them in his mirror at a time. Yaku aimed at Kira. Taking out one was good enough. He could always go after the second one after taking out the first. One at a time wasn't quick, but it was easy.

Kira dashed to the side as he saw the mirror glint. He would not get caught in that attack. No matter what, he couldn't let that happen.

Yaku sensed something at his side and jumped to avoid a scythe. The ground shattered where he had been standing. Another scythe came his way and passed over his head. He knew that Hisagi was behind him and he also knew that the scythe was in front of him connected to a chain. Hisagi could pull it back at any moment.

Sure enough, with a simple yank of the chain, the scythe came back. Yaku could either use his mirror on Hisagi and take the hit, or he could deal with the weapon flying at his chest. He chose the most pressing danger.

"Reflect."

The scythe bounced against the mirror's surface and was sent backwards. Yaku then turned around to deal with Hisagi but he was gone. Hisagi swung his second scythe from above, dropping down from over Yaku's head.

"Reflect."

The scythe made contact with the mirror and was thrown back with powerful force. Hisagi could feel his whole arm vibrate, right down to his bones. The force threw his arm back, causing Hisagi to hit himself in the face with his forearm. He flipped over backwards and dove out of the way before the mirror could find him.

"That's freaking nuts..." he said to himself. "That force... It was like my weapon struck a bomb. Such power..."

Yaku looked around to see where the enemy was positioned. Kira was to his left and Hisagi to his right. He knew exactly what they were trying to do. If he aimed his mirror at one, the other would attack before he could use it. They were keeping their distance from each other to make sure they weren't both caught in the mirror at the same time. They were attacking from different sides to make sure they wouldn't both be hit or if one was being targeted, the other one could help his partner. These men were smart, but Yaku thought he had them figured out. He had a plan.

Kira came at him with his sword drawn and ready. Yaku pointed his mirror at Kira. Then just as quickly, turned it around and pointed it at Hisagi. If that was their plan, then he would use it against them. If they thought they had it all figured out, they were sorely mistaken.

Hisagi saw the mirror and fled. At the same time, Kira saw that his friend was in trouble and got distracted. Yaku pointed the mirror back at Kira now that he was looking the other way. "Neg-"

"Hyah!" Hisagi slammed his weapon into Yaku's back.

"Gah!"

As Hisagi raised his second scythe, Yaku fled. Hisagi and Kira chased him. They flanked him, Kira on the right and Hisagi on the left. Yaku saw them both and held his mirror close to his body. He could only target one at a time.

They each took their weapons and struck. Hisagi aimed for Yaku's head and Kira went for his legs.

"Reflect."

The mirror bounced Kira's weapon back the way it came and Yaku ducked to avid Hisagi's weapon. The very tip of the scythe barely grazed the top of his head. No blood was drawn. Hisagi's other weapon came at Yaku's stomach. Yaku flipped through the air and landed on one knee. He pointed his weapon at them. Now Kira and Hisagi were both close enough to be targeted at the same time.

Hisagi pulled a chain.

"Crap." Yaku rolled out of the way as the scythe came at him from behind. He had almost forgotten about that. It was a good thing he was alert.

The Soul Reapers sprang apart. They had to keep their distance. Without a word, they put their next plan into action. Hisagi disappeared and Kira dashed forward. Yaku didn't know what to expect. Was Kira the distraction or was Hisagi? Without being able to see them both at the same time, he didn't know who to target. Which was the diversion? He had to keep his eye on both but they made sure that was an impossibility. They were making this very difficult for him.

Kira raised his weapon to strike. Yaku hesitated, thinking if he used his mirror on Kira then Hisagi would show up and attack from a different angle. That could cause him a serious if not fatal injury. Taking a chance, he aimed his mirror at Kira. Just as he feared, as soon as he did so, Hisagi appeared, but not his scythe.

"Uh-oh." Yaku turned and saw the scythe coming at him from another angle. He deflected the weapon to save himself from being sliced open. In doing so, he left himself wide open to be tackled by Hisagi. Both slammed into the ground, Hisagi on top. He grabbed onto Yaku's mirror and tried to pry it out of his hands. However, Yaku would not give it up. He had a firm grip on it. "Negative-"

Hisagi dove out of the way before anything could happen. Yaku got to his feet and looked around for the other one. He spotted Kira and aimed his mirror. When he sensed Hisagi at his back, he turned. Yaku rotated in a circle, scanning the area for the two Soul Reapers, hoping one of them would get caught in his mirror.

They came at him from different angles. Kira was coming at him from the front. Yaku couldn't tell how close Kira was to him so he ran backwards to avoid him. He tripped and fell backwards. Kira jumped and soured over Yaku's falling body. He pointed the mirror at him. In midair, Kira could not avoid the mirror's attack. Thankfully Hisagi tackled him out of the way in time. They rolled over each other and broke apart. They were both safe. Yaku stood and pointed his mirror in their direction but they were already gone.

Hisagi had an idea. As long as Kira could keep Yaku distracted, it could work. All he had to do was get that mirror away from its owner. If Yaku did not have a weapon, he could not fight.

Yaku waited for them to make a move. He knew they were coming. One would go one way and the other would go somewhere else. They wanted to confuse him and make sure he couldn't target them both at the same time. They were smart. That much he established. However, he wasn't sure if they knew the exact extent of his power or his limitations. Keeping what he knew in mind, Yaku was certain they would continue with the plan they had set into motion. If they were doing what he believed they were, then there was a trap they were heading right for and weren't even aware of it. Depending on how the next attack would go, he would get his answer.

Sure enough, here they came. Kira first. Yaku ran to the side and pointed his mirror at him. From the other side, Hisagi appeared with his weapon in hand. He threw one scythe, then the other. Yaku knew the idea was that if one missed, the other would not. If they both missed. Then he could pull them both back for another try. He would have four chances to hit Yaku.

One grazed his ear and the other was deflected by the mirror. The scythe that passed by his head was yanked back and Yaku ducked to avoid getting hit from behind. As he did, the other scythe was thrown at his chest. He deflected it again and the second scythe was thrown at him after being thrown by Hisagi again. Yaku struggled to keep up with their movements and speed. Whenever he deflected one, the second was following in its path. It was a barrage of attacks.

Hisagi started to get closer to him. He swung his arms, scythe in each hand, spinning as he switched between the two. Left and right, the blades came at Yaku constantly. Hisagi had timed it well. Like this, Yaku could not deflect them both at the same time so one was always coming at him. He was constantly under attack. He couldn't keep this up for much longer. It was too overwhelming. Too fast.

Now was his chance. Hisagi swung his right arm to the side, scraping the air with his scythe. Yaku threw his head back to avoid the hit. That was when Hisagi used his other scythe to attack the mirror. The blade hooked behind the mirror and with one powerful yank, Hisagi pulled it from Yaku's grip.

"Ah!" Yaku watched his mirror fling into the air. His hands were empty.

"Yes!" Kira cheered. Yaku could not fight anymore. He had nothing.

"It's over now." Hisagi drew one arm back and pointed the other at Yaku's neck. If Yaku managed to dodge one blade, he would not be able to dodge the second.

Yaku looked at his beloved mirror spin through the air over Hisagi's head. The surface was facing down and he could see Hisagi's image reflected in its surface. He smiled. He had his answer. This was what he was waiting for. This was the trap they were falling into. "Negative Image."

"Ah?!" Hisagi jumped aside just in time. "That thing can still work if he's not touching it?"

"Of course it can," said Yaku.

The mirror was getting closer to the ground. It wasn't enough just to take it from him. Hisagi had to destroy it. That was the only way. Hisagi went after the mirror with his weapon.

"Reflect."

As Hisagi struck the mirror, it repelled his weapon, forcing it back into him. Hisagi flipped backwards through the air and landed on both feet. When he looked up, he saw Yaku holding the mirror with one hand. Hisagi ran as fast as he could.

"Negative Image."

Hisagi was caught mid-stride. His legs stopped working and he fell. His body slid for a short distance in the dirt before coming to a stop.

"Hisagi!" Kira came rushing over without thinking of the danger. All he could think of was his friend. "Hisagi! Are you ok? Talk to me!"

Hisagi gave a pathetic whimper and moaned out a response. "It's no use. We're never going to win against this guy. Or any of them. What's the point?"

"Don't talk like that. We'll beat him. You'll see."

"I don't see how. We're both too weak. I can't even get Rangiku to look at me! She pays more attention to a Captain half my size. He's a bigger man than I am. Why would she want a loser like me? I can't even beat a guy without a single weapon. I was beat by a guy with a mirror. How lame is that? I suck!"

Kira hated to admit it, but maybe it was more than just the mirror making him say such things. Maybe it was the truth. Two Lieutenants couldn't take down one man holding a mirror. Yaku didn't have an actual weapon. It was pathetic. To get beaten so easily by a man like him was shameful. It really was pathetic. All these Soul Reapers couldn't take down one man holding a mirror? Yaku was making them look so weak. Maybe they were weak.

"Hisagi, we have to get out of here before he gets us." Kira tried to shake him but Hisagi wasn't willing to do anything anymore.

"What's the point?"

"He'll kill us!"

"So what? We're all going to die anyway. Might as well get it over with. I don't care anymore."

"What about everyone else? They're counting on us, Hisagi."

"They put their faith in the wrong people. We suck. I suck. They're all doomed. We all were from the start. If the Quincy guys don't kill us then something else will. Only a matter of time. Let's just get it over with. I lost to a man with a mirror. Maybe I deserve it. I hate my life. Everything is so fleeting. It's so depressing and awful. I'm so weak... I'll never get a girlfriend. I'll never get anything... I suck. I suck so hard... I'm a loser. My life sucks... Let him do whatever. I don't care anymore... Might be better off..."

Kira hated seeing Hisagi like this. It was awful. He felt sorry for him. He wanted to smack him, too.

He had lost the will to fight. To do anything.

Hisagi wouldn't try to defend himself. He wouldn't stop Yaku from killing him.

If this happened to Kira...

Kira looked up and saw the mirror reflecting the terrified look on his face. He could see just how frightened he was.

"Time for you to join your friend and feel that same depressing way," said Yaku. "Negative Image."

"No!" Kira couldn't get out of the way in time. He threw his arms over his head to protect himself but it was all pointless. Even he knew that.

He knew this fight would be unlike anything they had faced before. Yaku was just too different. He was on a level Kira never knew existed. His weapon was so simple but so powerful. How could a simple mirror cause all this damage? How could it even be considered a weapon? It really was pathetic that such a thing would be their downfall.

What made matters worse was that now no one would be able to warn anyone else of Yaku being here or about his powers. They had tried to stop Yaku here before he could get to anyone else. Now that both of them were taken down, there was no one to stop him from getting to anyone else. It was all over. Nothing could stop Yaku now. Why did he ever think they had a chance?

Kira opened his eyes one at a time. He was still standing. "Hm?" He didn't feel any different.

He lowered his arms and looked at Yaku.

"Sorry. I missed." Yaku aimed the mirror again. "Negative Image."

Kira flinched but nothing happened. He could see himself in the mirror but he didn't feel any different. Nothing had changed. Kira looked at Hisagi who was in a heap on the ground, moaning sadly into the dirt. Kira wasn't acting like that at all. He didn't feel like doing that either. This struck him as strange.

Kira wasn't the only one confused. Yaku's eyes were wide with bewilderment. He couldn't understand this either.

"I don't get it. I know I hit you this time. And the time before that, I'm sure of it. But... you're still standing. Why the hell aren't you on the ground like your friend?"

Kira shrugged. He honestly hadn't a clue.

Yaku checked his mirror. It had activated. Everything was working correctly. "But why isn't he on the ground?" Yaku was getting frustrated. " I don't get it. When I use that power on people, it sucks everything positive out of them until there is nothing left but negative feelings. It amplifies the sadness and negativity making the person feel depressed and lack the will to fight back. That's the whole point. It gives the target negative feelings."

Kira tilted his head. "That's how it works?"

He looked down at Hisagi, then at his feet, then at the image of himself in the mirror. Kira started to smile. He chuckled. That chuckle built into laughter which left Yaku even more confused than before.

"What is it?"

Kira laughed. He shook his head and his laughter died away. It was an amazing thought. The very idea of it struck Kira as hilarious. It was so ironic.

"I feel like that all the time."

Yaku's eyes twitched. "Eh?"

"When I think about it, it's so pathetic, it's funny. Just the idea of it is so... My God, it's just..." He started chuckling all over again. "Just look at my life. My parents are both dead, I was always very timid and nervous. Being a student with Momo and Renji was just... I mean he kicked my ass all the time, mostly because I was always shaking. Flash forward to me being in Squad 4 and getting my ass kicked because we're thought of as weak. My self-esteem went through the roof as you can imagine. Not. Then I get transferred to a new Squad with a new Captain who passed the time by pulling pranks on everyone. I was the favorite and he encouraged everyone to do the same. He made me miserable. But I was loyal to him, even if I complained a lot. He was my Captain, after all. Then the guy betrays us all and runs off with two other Captains and we have a big war and everything. Imagine how I felt. I get pushed around by everybody, and those who don't ignore me. Whenever I get drunk, I start complaining about them and that's a story in and of itself. I mean just look at my life! Those are just the highlights and you can see how pathetic I am. Events and personality all play a part in how much my life sucks."

What made it amusing to Kira was the idea that such a thing actually gave him an edge.

"Don't you see?" he told Yaku. "What your mirror makes a person feel... I feel like that all the time. So in other words, I'm immune. It won't work on me."

Kira was so used to this feeling that he had built up a sort of immunity to the mirror's effects. He could handle these feelings of negativity because he faced such feelings almost everyday of his life. There was no difference. The mirror would not effect him because he was already in such a state almost all the time.

"I can handle it. This crippling negativity and all that stuff your mirror's supposed to do... I can't deal with it better than any of them. That's the thing about having those feelings all the time. You learn to cope with it. You can handle it so it doesn't take over your life and control you. It's not that you ignore the feelings. You deal with them. You control them rather than have them control you."

It was as if Kira were his own therapist. He had been dealing with depressing feelings for most of his life. He had grown used to it. He could handle them so they didn't take control of his life. That was why he wasn't a mess. Why he wasn't reduced to a pile on the floor like so many others caught by the mirror's power. The mirror couldn't give him something he already had. Most importantly, he knew how to deal with such feelings so it wouldn't become overwhelming.

Kira pointed at Yaku "Your mirror will not work on me. Unlike everyone else, I will not fall.

In his shock, Yaku nearly dropped his mirror. "What?!" In all this time, he had never met anyone immune to his mirror's power. If only his fellow Quincy were here to witness the expression on his face. It was one he had never made before.

Which was another reason why Kira was laughing. It wasn't such a sense of accomplishment or irony. It was realizing something else. Something very important that made him feel bigger than he was. Made him feel superhuman. The satisfaction of knowing that what could have made him weak actually made him strong. Stronger than others.

"Which means..." Kira raised his weapon. "I am the only one who can take you on. I may be the only one who can beat you."

* * *

Go, Kira!

Please review! ^-^


	30. Chapter 30

**Chapter: 30**

Unbelievable. Remarkable, actually. To think there was someone who could withstand his mirror's ability.

Yaku stood perfectly still, staring at Kira. This man was the only person he had ever come across who wasn't effected by his mirror's power. Kira must have lived a truly pathetic and depressing life for the mirror to have no effect on him. Or perhaps it was that Kira was simply used to such negative things that he was able to deal with it. He had a resistance. Kira had lived through some hard times and lacked in many ways. It was no wonder he was able to resist the power of Yaku's mirror, now that he thought about it.

Only one aspect of the mirror, though. Yaku's mirror still possessed other abilities. It was unlikely that Kira would be able to resist all of them. Impossible, actually. Yaku's mirror could effect a person directly or indirectly. There were many other things Yaku could do to defeat Kira. Creating a mirror image of Kira was just only thing he could do to fight him. He could also steal his Spirit Energy but that would take too long. He could reflect Kira's attacks and send them right back at him. That was another way to go.

He wasn't defeated yet. Finding out about Kira's resistance to just one of his mirror's powers was a minor setback. A total shock, but still only a setback. There were still many things Yaku could do. He could still fight Kira.

Yaku grasped his mirror tightly and positioned himself for a different attack. Failure was not an option. He was going to defeat Kira no matter what. After all, he found the very thought of losing to a single Soul Reaper, and a weak one at that, utterly depressing.

* * *

"Ahh!" Zalya stumbled back, slipping on the ice Hitsugaya created. He braced himself against a wall and shot the Captain a dirty look.

Hitsugaya had just begun his fight with Zalya and was already having doubts about winning. Though he had discovered a way around Zalya's blood ability, fighting him would not be easy. Simply freezing the blood was just one part of the fight, not winning it. Everyone knew of Zalya's blood ability, but no one knew what else he was capable of. Hitsugaya knew he shouldn't get too confident and think he was going to win simply because he could freeze Zalya's weapon of choice. Even if that was giving him an edge in this battle, he knew Zalya would most likely find another way to attack him.

On the surface, Zalya seemed to be a direct attacker, but he was also crafty. He had managed to find his way back into the Seireitei so he must have had other skills to aid him. Hitsugaya would not drop his guard. This Quincy was strong. Freezing the blood wasn't enough to defeat Zalya and he knew that.

Zalya stood up, glaring at the Captain. "So... That's how you're going to fight me? Freeze the blood in ice? That's it?"

Hitsugaya did not answer.

"It won't be enough to win you the fight, baby."

"I never said it would be."

Zalya chuckled. "Good. But you're still foolish, baby."

"Because I'm taking you alone?"

"Nah, baby. Thinking that we are alone."

With a snap of his fingers, the dead Soul Reapers began to rise. One after another, they stood on their feet and started walking.

"Rising Corpses."

Hitsugaya turned around, looking at the Soul Reapers coming towards him. This was exactly what he was afraid of. Taking the blood out of the equation wasn't enough. Zalya had other tricks up his sleeve.

This posed another problem. As if fighting these corpses wasn't enough, he now had to keep his eyes on two places at once. If he turned his back to Zalya, he could take him down. The blood issue wasn't resolved, either. Freezing the blood made it so Zalya could not use it as a weapon. However, injuries could still occur, allowing Zalya to get more blood. Even if the blood couldn't be used as a weapon, the threat of blood loss was a real issue. There were a lot of factors Hitsugaya had to be aware of.

First things first. He had to get rid of these corpses. He started slashing, knowing there was the risk of causing blood to flow. Depending on how long these men have been dead, they might not bleed at all. He slashed at their limps, making sure they could not grab him or walk.

However, when he did that, he discovered to his horror that they could still move. Separated from their bodies, the limbs continued to advance. A hand crawled across the ground and attempted to grab Hitsugaya's ankle. He kicked it away and slashed at another man coming at him from the other side. In pieces, the man continued to advance.

Jumping back, Hitsugaya used his sword to freeze the corpses in ice, making short work of it. Frozen in a block if ice, they were no longer an issue. The only reason Hitsugaya had not done that in the first place was to see what these corpses could do and their limitations. He wanted to learn as much as he could about this man's other powers. Now he knew not to slash because the severed limbs would continue to move on their own. Freezing them was the best option.

He turned back to Zalya who had changed locations. He was now in front of another building, a coil of blood behind his back. No doubt he would attempt to use it at some point, but for now he seemed to be waiting for Hitsugaya to make a move.

He would not take the bait. He would wait him out instead. Between the two of them, Zalya seemed like the more impatient one.

* * *

Very slowly, things started to come into focus. The blue sky above him, the quiet, the pain. Even the pain had returned. It was a dull pain, but pain meant he was still alive.

"Dammit, I knew I couldn't win against leader. I got careless."

Sharif lay sprawled on his back, looking up at the sky. He was alive, but ashamed. He was ashamed of himself. Not just for losing the fight but for what he had become. Not only was he a deformed Quincy pieced together with Hollow parts, but he had fought against a man he had always believed in and trusted. Forget fighting against his own leader, he had fought against a Quincy. His own kind. He was ashamed of himself.

"At least you're alive," said a voice.

It wasn't his female self, so Sharif knew he wasn't alone. Someone was with him. He turned his head and looked around. A young man with light brown hair and green eyes was sitting nearby.

"You must be the Quincy that Yagi dirt-bag turned into a part Hollow. The limbs are kind of a giveaway. But you don't seem very Hollow to me. But nice job kicking his ass. He deserves it."

Sharif stared at the man wondering how long he had been there and what his purpose was. Was he alive because this stranger treated his injuries? Sharif wasn't certain. This man didn't appear to have any medical supplies on his person.

"Who are you?" he asked. "What's your name?"

"Veneno," he answered.

"Sharif."

"Nice to meet you."

Sharif looked the man up and down. He couldn't tell what he was. The white clothing could have meant that he was a Quincy but Sharif wasn't sensing that from him. His Spiritual Pressure was strange. He couldn't detect him until Veneno had spoken. It could have been because he was too injured or weak to sense the presence of another. Now that he was aware of Veneno being there, he was still having trouble sensing anything from him. Either Veneno was masking his Spiritual Pressure on purpose or something deeper was going on.

"I've heard your name before, I think. Leader mentioned it once. You're involved with the Soul Reapers, aren't you?"

"You could say that."

"But you're not a Soul Reaper."

"No. I'm an Arrancar."

Sharif looked Veneno over a second time, searching for something that would indicate that he was in fact an Arrancar. He couldn't find any trace of a mask on him at all, but Veneno had nothing to gain by lying about what he was so he must have been as he claimed.

Seeing Sharif studying his face, Veneno lifted his bangs to show him the mask fragment on his forehead.

Sharif flinched. It was true. He didn't have the strength to fight him at the moment nor did he have the gumption. If Veneno was a threat, he would have done something by now. Veneno must have not seen him as an enemy being part Hollow.

"Why are you here?" he asked Veneno.

"I just had a run-in with your boss. He was bragging about how he had left you for dead after you turned against him. And how he left you to be killed by Ichigo. And how he turned you into what you are now. The guy sure talks a lot."

"I see..." Sharif wondered if Yagi knew whether or not he was dead.

"The guy's a jerk. A real ass." Veneno turned to him. "I wanted to find you. From what he said, you were nearby. Wait, maybe it was the other guy. Yup, the other guy told me. Anyway, I wanted to see what he had done to you. And if you were still alive."

"What does it matter?" Sharif turned to face the sky. "I feel just as scattered as my body. I'm so confused and overwhelmed. I don't know what to do anymore. I feel so lost."

He was a monster. His own leader had forsaken him, used him, cared nothing for him. For any of them. Yagi weighed their worth by his personal gain. Yagi even admitted to killing him when this was over or when he proved useless. Sharif couldn't believe he had followed a man like that. He was loyal to such a man.

"Yagi, my leader... He..." Sharif shut his eyes. "Even after he had left me to die, I was still loyal to him. Once he pieced me back together, I was grateful. All had been forgiven. I forgave him for what he did to me. I let it go. As if I knew it was necessary. I don't know what I was thinking. I thought he cared. That he had done everything he could to save me because he cared. That I was important."

Shairf opened his eyes and looked at his deformed body.

"Look at me now. I knew he had pieced me together with Hollow parts, but at the time I didn't care. I overlooked what it meant. I was just happy to be alive and to think he had saved my life."

"He treats you guys like crap," said Veneno. "He used one of you guys as a shield during a fight."

Sharif wondered who it could be. He knew Yagi had sent Zalya and Yaku to the Seireitei so it couldn't have been them. Unless he had grabbed one of them on the way. Yagi wouldn't be at the Seireitei so this event couldn't have taken place inside. That only left one person.

"It was a guy with a weird Mohawk thing. He had a jacket and could shoot arrows from both hands at once," said Veneno. "I think he said his name was Mordere."

Sharif turned his head. "So he is dead, then?"

Veneno looked down. "Mordere is, yes. First he had pushed Yagi out of the way. Then Yagi picked up his body and used him as a shield for the next attack. There's nothing really left of the body."

"But Yagi is still alive."

"Yes."

Sharif turned away. "I had a feeling Mordere would be the one. He was always very loyal to Yagi. Same as me. It doesn't surprise me to know that he had protected Yagi at the cost of his own life."

"Why do you follow a guy like that?" Veneno asked. "He uses you, tries to have you killed, experiments on you, hurts innocent people, abandons you and even uses you as a shield. This guy is bad news. Why the hell are any of you loyal to him? Why do you follow him?"

Sharif spoke for himself and on behalf of all Quincies. "Because he is a Quincy, and so are we."

"That's the reason?" Veneno asked, raising his brow. "Because you guys are all Quincies?"

"Who better to understand you than your own kind?" answered Sharif. "They'll look out for you and help you out. They'll take care of you and understand you. With such similar everything, how can you not get along? They're your kin. You stick with your own kind because they will stick with you. You can trust them. You can understand each other and they will always be on your side."

"Yeah. I can see that. The way Yagi is with you guys and all."

Sharif frowned. He didn't have an answer. He wanted to tell Veneno he didn't understand and that he was wrong, but couldn't bring himself to do it. He knew Veneno had a point. Yagi was a Quincy like the rest of them, and yet what he was doing went against everything Sharif believed they would do to their own.

Sharif faced the sky again, completely lost. "I know he's wrong. I know what Yagi is. I did attack him. I fought against my own kind. But his actions..."

"You weren't wrong."

Sharif looked at his body again and cringed. "What do I do now?" he asked. "I'm still a Quincy, but with these Hollow parts... I'm a monster. Yagi turned me into this. He admitted he would kill me when the time came and we fought and he left me and..." He shut his eyes tight. "Now I'm alone. What am I supposed to do now? Where will I go? Who can I turn to?"

Veneno cleared his throat. "I don't mind helping you out."

"Because you're a Hollow. So I can relate to you, I suppose."

Veneno frowned. "Hang on a second. So you only hang out with Quincies because you're a Quincy yourself? And now that you're a Hollow, partly, you think you can only associate with Hollows? Is that it?"

"Who else can understand me? Who else can I depend on? You have to stick with your own kind. No one else will help you out."

Veneno sat back. "Are you kidding me? My own kind abandoned me."

Sharif turned. "What?"

"Yeah. Back when I was a Hollow, I traveled with a group of my own kind. I was the smallest one in the group so they made fun of me all the time. They left me behind, when there was food, they would never let me get any, they tried to step on me for fun. They mocked me all the time. They treated me like crap, but I stayed with them. Then one day a group of Soul Reapers showed up and attacked. When I called for help, they abandoned me. I tried running, and they left me behind to die. They were all killed and I was the only one left. I thought I was next, then a Soul Reaper captured me instead and took me back with them."

"So your own kind left you to die?"

"Yes. I called for help and they ran away. I tried to run after them and they left me in their dust. A couple even tried to throw me to the Soul Reapers, if I remember right. It was chaos."

"So then what happened?"

Veneno told his story. He told him about the painful experiments, how he had become an Arrancar and how he had waged war on the Seireitei. How he turned people into Hollows and how he was ultimately defeated. Then he told Sharif how he was brought back and how the Soul Reapers treated him kindly despite being an Arrancar.

"I turned them into Hollows before not just to protect myself but to deal with the loneliness. I figured who better to keep me company than my own kind? A Hollow should be with other Hollows. But I was wrong."

Veneno sat back with a chuckle.

"It's weird, isn't it? How strange that I found more in common with these Soul Reapers than I did my own kind?" Veneno smiled fondly at the thought. "I'm friends with these filthy Soul Reapers. And I like them. Very much."

Sharif listened without interrupting. Veneno's story left him wondering a great many things and he had plenty of questions but he never asked. When he saw Veneno smile, he found that he had learned the answer. Maybe things weren't as black and white as he thought.

The Soul Reapers didn't kill Veneno despite being a Hollow and Veneno was their friend despite nature dictating that they were enemies. The two kinds were constantly in battle, one destined to kill the other. Soul Reapers and Hollows could never get along. It was in their nature to fight. In the nature of a Hollow, at least, but it was a Soul Reaper's job to kill Hollows. Seeing the two actually coexist was very bizarre. Such a thing was unthinkable.

Yet here they were.

"It's character, I think," said Veneno. "You're following a guy because he's your kin when you should be following a guy who will treat you right. I learned that a long time ago. It took a lot but I finally got it. Judge the person, not the race."

Sharif thought a while about this. Veneno was right. He should be loyal not to a specific type of race but to someone who was kind and treated him well. He felt such a thing was strange and unnatural, but given is current state, who was he to judge?

"Different people coming together. Fighting together..." He had seen that with Linnette, a human and the Soul Reapers. Even the ones with Hollow powers. They were all working together despite being different so he knew it was possible. He had just never done it before.

From the time he was little up until this moment, he had only ever associated with his own kind. Even in school. He never played with his other classmates because they were not Quincies. He would sit at his desk and read quietly while the rest of them played and chatted. At lunch, he would sit by himself and eat from his lunchbox. He never shared with others and he never took food offered to him. As he got older, that habit continued strong. He even turned down a girl who asked him on a date because she was human. He intended to marry a Quincy so their children would be as well and the bloodline would continue. Love had nothing to do with it. He was just interested in marrying a Quincy woman, whoever she may be. Once he found a Quincy woman, they would get together and that would be it. No courtship or anything like that. She was a Quincy and that's all that was needed. It might as well be considered an arranged marriage.

He chose that way of life because he thought it was proper. Nothing was forced on him. Both his parents were Quincies and they were friends with other Quincies. Sharif would play with Quincy children and had a wonderful time. He was never upset or displeased. He was never lonely or had any desire for a human friend with no special powers. He always thought this was a good life. He enjoyed it and never once wished for anything different.

Even if the Quincy children were mean or nasty, he would still be with them because they were his kin. If a human was kind to him, he would never accept their friendship simply because they were not his kin. This was his life and it never bothered him. Going against Yagi was the first time he had ever gone against his own kind. Up until then, everything a Quincy did was justifiable. Granted, nothing a Quincy had ever done to him or anyone was ever as bad as what Yagi had done. No one had ever tried to kill him before, or tried to feed him to a Hollow or turn him into a Hollow. That was the last straw.

He still didn't regret the way of life he had chosen for himself, but now he was left wondering how much he had missed out on by keeping himself closed off from others. Could he have become good friends with those human children? Or that girl who asked him out. Would he have found out what it was like to be in love? Could he have ended up marrying her? So many unanswered questions. So many curious things. Would his life have been any different had he chosen to mingle with others? Would anything have changed had he played with kind human children instead of the bratty Quincy who only ever wanted to play the same game over and over and lash out if things didn't go his way? There were kind Quincy children, too, but since he only played with Quincies, he also had to play with the bratty ones. If he had mixed friendships, he might have played with only the children, human or Quincy, who were kind and pleasant to be around. Would that have changed anything for him?

Agreeing to associate with Veneno would be the first time he ever had a relationship with anyone other than a Quincy. Should he break that streak? Would now be a good time to start looking for friendship elsewhere? This man was an Arrancar. An enemy. However, he was part Hollow now so what did that make him? Sharif was almost killed by his fellow Quincy so what did that tell him?

This was actually a very difficult decision for him.

He felt so lost.

He knew Yagi was a bad guy and that he had done terrible things. They were already enemies so perhaps fighting alongside an Arrancar wasn't the worse thing in the world. He was built with Hollow parts so in a way they were almost like kin. Maybe befriending Veneno wouldn't be such a bad thing. There were worst things in the world. Yet he was still having second thoughts. Being a Quincy, it was his job to kill Hollows. Befriending one was practically blasphemous. At the very least, it was spitting on tradition.

But being a mix of both Quincy and Hollow, what did that make him?

"You've been quiet for a while," said Veneno. "You doing ok?"

So far this man was treating him far better than his own kind. Better than his leader, that was for sure.

Maybe joining forces to take Yagi down wouldn't be so bad. When it was all over, he could then kill Veneno. It was his duty as a Quincy to do that. Maybe ending the Arrancar's life would bring him some relief from these conflicting feelings. It was a thought. But if he did that, then wouldn't he truly be alone? He needed someone with him he could relate to. He didn't want to be alone. Especially not like this.

Maybe a monster should be with another monster.

He and Veneno were a bit similar. They were both experimented on, both were abandoned by their own kind to some extent. Both were treated poorly by their own kind for one reason or another. Associating with Veneno might not be so bad. He could do worse.

Shairf started to move. He could sit up. Veneno stood, watching him.

Sharif turned to Veneno. It was time to make a decision.

Joining up with Veneno to take down Yagi was one option. For the sake of his pride, he could go off and kill Yagi himself. He wasn't so lucky the first time, but maybe things would be different the second time around.

What should he do? What should he do?

* * *

With a flick of his wrist, Hitsugaya sent a pillar of ice into the air. Zalya dodged and came running at him from a different angle. Hitsugaya used his sword to block his path, sending a wave of ice his direction. Zalya jumped and responded by sending bullets of blood down upon the Captain. Hitsugaya froze them in midair. Zalya still had blood circling the air behind him but wasn't using it. Zalya had decided to use his blood sparingly, knowing what the Captain could do.

Zalya landed and came at Hitsugaya with his bare hand. Hitsugaya could easily cut it off but that would cause his blood to flow which the Captain did not want. He chose to block with his arm instead. Flesh meeting flesh would not cause too much damage.

Hitsugaya saw something flicker. A sliver light. Thinking fast, he blocked with his sword. Zalya had drawn a sword from his belt and was using it against him.

"A Quincy wielding a sword?"

Zalya chuckled. "That's right. I might be the only Quincy who does. But with my powers, it is not considered shameful. I use this blade to cut myself all the time so I can draw blood."

That made sense, but now Hitsugaya had a problem. Not only did he have to be wary of the blood in addition to the Quincy being able to use arrows, but now he also had to face an enemy who wielded a sword. Zalya had too many weapons to keep track of. He was resourceful, Hitsugaya had to admit. Zalya would be able to use close-combat and be able to attack from a distance using a verity of weapons such as this.

Hitsugaya pushed him back and Zalya swung sideways to cut his shoulder. Hitsugaya jumped back to avoid it. Zalya advanced. He swung left and right like a madman. He didn't seem to possess any sword-fighting skills. He was just swinging wildly. In theory, this should have made him easier to fight but it actually made him just as dangerous. Hitsygaya tried to read his moves but Zalya was unpredictable.

Just when it seemed he was advancing, he jumped back and switched weapons. He showered Hitsugaya with arrows. Hitsugaya blocked and changed directions. Zalya followed, firing everything he had. He ran up the side of a building and pushed off from the wall. He flew over Hitsugaya's head and fired more arrows. Hitsugaya fled, blocking whatever he could.

Then something pierced his shoulder from behind. "No..!" Blood lifted from his wound and met in the air, circling Zalya's hand. He shot the blood back at the owner. He froze the blood coming back at him at great speed. He then hid behind his sword as the ball of ice came flying at his head.

This was exactly what Hitsugaya was afraid of. The blood could attack him from different angles and it didn't matter if he froze the blood he saw gathered around Zalya. There was still more blood hiding elsewhere. Even in his own body. In Zalya's. This would not be an easy fight, even if he did have an edge.

"Hyah!" Zalya's sword clanged against Hitsugaya's.

"Ah?" Hitsugaya's feet were sliding across the ground. Zalya's taller frame coupled with his own strength gave him an edge. He was pushing Hitsygaya backwards. Zalya kept pushing until Hitsugaya was backed against a wall. He pressed him up against it, pushing and pushing.

"What was that you said about being able to fight me because you stood a better chance?"

Hitsugaya looked over Zalya's shoulder at the gathering blood. In this position, Hitsugaya could not block or turn it to ice. His sword was busy holding off Zalya's blade. Either he let the blood get him or use his sword to stop the blood and let Zalya's sword slice him from the front.

"Take this, baby."

The blood showered Hitsugaya like a heavy rain.

It was so painful, like needles and bits of hail.

Crying out in pain, something started to happen with his blade. Zalya noticed it, too. The blade was starting to freeze. Zalya jumped back to prevent his sword from being frozen to the Captain's. Freed, Hitsugaya swung his sword and froze the blood showering down upon him.

Hitsugaya looked himself over, checking his body for wounds. He wasn't in too bad of shape. His scarf and Captain's jacket were full of holes but otherwise he seemed fine except for a few scrapes and cuts, but those were minor.

Zalya didn't want to let the Captain breathe. He fired more arrows, letting the fight continue. Hitsugaya blocked with a wall of ice which shattered quickly due to the amount of arrows. He couldn't stay put. He had to move. He ran from behind the shattering ice wall and tried to freeze Zalya in place. The ice was broken before it could reach its target by the circling blood. It protected Zalya from the attack but it was short lived. Hitsugaya threw more ice in his direction, encasing the blood.

Zalya jumped back and picked up his sword. He drew a line across his arm with the blade. Blood floated into the air, giving him another weapon.

He fired arrows at Hitsugaya and then chased the arrows with his blood. Hitsugaya blocked the arrows with ice but the ice shattered, and when it did, the blood came, cutting Hitsugaya's shoulder like a red spike.

"Dammit!"

"Don't worry, baby. It's not over yet."

The blood wrapped around Hitsugaya's arm like a red rope and held his sword in place. The blood was moving so fast, it had become solid, enabling it to hold onto Hitsugaya's wrist. This explained how Zalya was able to ride the blood like a surfboard, despite it being a liquid. At such a high speed, the liquid blood had the same properties as a solid.

"Don't move, baby," Zalya taunted. He put the sword to his lips and licked his own blood off the blade. "I don't want you moving the wrong way and dying faster. For you, I want to see suffer a little longer, baby."

Hitsugaya jerked and twisted but the blood held fast. He could not swing his sword like this. Not unless he switched hands and used his free hand to swing, but he knew Zalya would never give him the chance. Unless he distracted him for a moment.

"Why the hell are you doing this?" he asked. "What have Soul Reapers ever done to you?"

"Not to me personally. But you guys are a bunch of asses. I don't see why we have to follow your rules when we're not Soul Reapers. And why should you be the ones in power and dictate the proper way we should kill Hollows? And besides, baby... Frankly, you're not fit to rule. You think you're the good guys? Please. You Soul Reapers have done some terrible things yourselves. Yet we Quincy are detected as the bad guys?"

"All things considered..." Hitsugaya gestured around with his eyes. "You're not helping your case too much."

"Am I?" asked Zalya. "You don't go wandering into a Hollow's den and slaughter them all and then get called murderers. You're hailed as heroes. Same with us. You Soul Reapers are the enemy. You're bad news. So why are we the bad guys for getting rid of people who deserve it?"

"You think killing Soul Reapers will be best? That it will keep the peace? It's not like we go out there and kill your people."

"No, you just don't offer help when we need it," Zalya said bitterly. "To each their own, right, baby?"

"We help people."

"Then where were you?" Zalya demanded. "Where were you when my aunt and uncle were torn to pieces by Hollows? When my kin called for help and you never came? How in the hell are you not the bad guys? Why in the hell don't you deserve to die?"

Hitsugaya put himself in the Quincy's position for a moment and realized he was right. From a Quincy's perspective, Soul Reapers must have been seen as the enemy.

"But that doesn't justify killing an entire race," Hitsugaya said. "We didn't all abandon you."

"No. But your rules make it difficult for those who wish to leave to assist us to do so. If they are not allowed to go, then they will not break the rules to come help us. Those are your rules, yes? Whatever the Head Captain commands. Not just him, but you have other rules, too. So any halfway decent Soul Reapers have their hands tied, preventing them from helping us. Therefore, they are just as guilty as those who choose not to help us. Your rules have left many dead and Quincy blood spilled. That is just another reason you and your kind deserve to die."

"All Soul Reapers? Innocent people?"

"They are Soul Reapers. They are not innocent. They all follow the same rules that allow such things to take place and my kin to die. Soul Reapers deserve death."

"Even those who have done nothing?"

"That's right, baby." Zalya raised his sword. "You have done nothing."

Hitsugaya dropped his sword and caught it in his left hand. He swung, blocking Zalya's blade and swung a second time to freeze the blood around his wrist. He jumped away as Zalya recovered. The blood around Hitsugaya's wrist was frozen solid, giving him a cold, red bracelet. He quickly smashed it against the side of a building to free himself and then turned back to Zalya who was readying another attack.

"I'm sorry," Hitsugaya said quickly. "I'm sorry for what happened to your kin, but there must be more to the story than that. You can't condemn everyone for something that happened. And that was years ago, wasn't it? We have new students at the academy who want to become Soul Reapers. They were not involved. We have new Soul Reapers who have graduated. They had nothing to do with that. With any of it. So you're in the wrong. You can't come here and kill all Soul Reapers just-"

"Whether or not they were directly involved doesn't matter, baby. Soul Reapers are the ones who should pay. Who deserve death. If they want to become Soul Reapers, then they condemned themselves."

"So to your eyes, it's all Soul Reapers. Anyone who takes the title is bad. All Soul Reapers are bad. That's very simplistic thinking. Not to mention unfair."

"If they become Soul Reapers, then they will learn how to abandon others and think only of themselves. They will not help a Quincy in need and will follow their own rules. That is why it does not matter who the person is or their character. Whoever they are does not matter. Because as Soul Reapers, they will all follow the same rules and be bound by your laws. If it is in their character to help a Quincy, they will not be allowed to do so if it goes against your rules. That is their crime, baby. That is why all Soul Reapers are bad."

"Then hate the rules. Not us."

"Ah, but who made the rules, baby? Who follows them?" Zalya raised his sword. "We can talk all day about this but I don't want to. The fact of the matter is that we will never see eye-to-eye and will always be enemies. And enemies must be eliminated. That is how we will have peace. By getting rid of those who do not agree with us. Only a Quincy can understand what is in another Quincy's heart. Who better to understand you than your own kind? There will be peace among your own kin. They will not turn their back on you. Whereas those who are different are unpredictable and strange. How can you ever understand them or get along when you are too different? That is just another reason why we don't get along."

Hitsugaya did not wish to argue with a man who could not be reasoned with. Whatever his reasons were, it did not justify what he was doing. Even if he could sympathize with him, knowing why he would be motivated to do this, Hitsugaya knew he was an enemy and needed to be stopped.

* * *

Please review! ^-^


	31. Chapter 31

**Chapter 31:**

Zalya swung and Hitsugaya blocked. He swung again and Hitsugaya jumped to avoid his strike. In the air, Hitsugaya swung his sword, freezing the ground and Zalya with it.

It wasn't enough. Zalya managed to break free and shot an arrow past Hitsugaya's head. He then sprang straight up and continued his attack in the air. Their swords clanged together and sent sparks flying. They sprang apart and collided with each other on the ground, sending sparks skyward.

"Hyah!" Zalya twisted his blade around while pressing into the Captain's, successfully getting around his blade and into Hitsugaya's arm. At the same time, Hitsugaya's sword was thrown forward and into Zalya's shoulder.

They sprang apart once more to examine their wounds. Neither cut was fatal but they were deep and that was enough to give Zalya another weapon. With a wave of his hand, Zalya commanded the blood staining Hitsugaya's arm to attack. The blood rose from his jacket and stabbed him like a dozen daggers. At such close range, Hitsugaya couldn't swing his sword to freeze them before causing damage. He had no choice but to take the hit.

"You can't beat me," Zalya gloated. "There's no possible way. In a sword fight, blood will be shed. It will splatter the ground and the flesh and I will use it. There's no way you can win."

"I hate it when people underestimate me." Hitsugaya swung his sword and Zalya ran from the ice storm that came his way. "I don't care what you think. There is always a way to beat someone. Always."

"Not me."

"Yes, even you. We managed to beat Aizen and he was all powerful. So he thought."

"Heh." Zalya stopped to land on a broken piece of building and faced the young Captain. "But it was Ichigo who defeated him. Not you. As our leader said time and again, if we take out Kurosaki, you will be weakened. He has come to your rescue countless times. It doesn't make you Soul Reapers look very good, baby. If we take out the strongest, the rest will fall. Ichigo first, then the Captains, then everyone else. Our leader has figured everything out."

"Your leader is using you. Can't you see that?"

Zalya's smirk faded.

"Yagi, right? That's his name?" Hitsugaya turned his body to face Zalya. "He's a coward and a weakling. He's just using you to do the dirty work for him while he stands behind you and gloats. He may have a few tricks up his sleeve but I don't see him here getting all bloody and bruised. He's a coward."

Zalya didn't argue that point. He knew his cousin didn't want to risk his own life. However, he was still a powerful Quincy and his family. He would defend him to the end and follow wherever he went.

"It doesn't matter to me, baby. So far, everything he's said has worked out perfectly. He knows what he's doing."

"He's sending you all to your deaths."

Zalya chuckled. "No. Not me. Not with my power. I'd sooner kill you and everyone here than I will meet my fate. That's why he sent me here. Not to have me die but to kill all of you. With my blood-wielding ability, I can do anything."

Hitsugaya kept his mouth shut. Either Zalya was aware of it and wanted to keep it hidden, or he simply had yet to see it himself. Hitsugaya didn't want to point out his weakness until it was too late.

Zalya waved his hand and the blood rose from Hitsugaya's fresh wounds. Before they could enter his body in another attack, Hitsugaya cloaked himself in ice. The blood could not enter his body and any blood that tried ended up freezing on contact.

This was actually a risky move. Hitsugaya could stand the cold but there was always the danger of freezing to death accidentally. It was also risky in the fact that as long as he was doing this, his body remained in one spot, like a block of ice. This left him open to attack. While he was cloaked in ice, he could not move.

As soon as he felt he was out of danger, Hitsugaya shed the ice cloak and looked around for Zalya who had fled again.

"Behind you, baby!"

Hitsugaya spun around and blocked with his sword. Zalya had jumped from above to launch this attack, the full power of his momentum behind his swing. Hitsugaya's knees buckled under the pressure.

"I have you now."

Something sharp pierced Hitsugaya from behind. It was the severed arm of a fallen Soul Reaper still clutching their sword. Blood began to flow from the wound in his side.

"Time for me to cut you into little pieces, baby." As he said this, the blood began to coil and twist, inching its way up to Hitsugaya's neck.

Fighting Zalya proved to be far more difficult than he thought. Actually, Hitsugaya never thought it would be easy. He knew he was locked in battle with a very worthy opponent, but he didn't think he would be cut this often. He knew Zalya was right in saying that a sword fight would always result in someone getting injured. He thought he could avoid it better than this.

Before Hitsugaya could get attacked by the blood, he sent a blast of cold wind and ice from his Zanpakuto. It froze the air and everything around him, including the blood. Zalya managed to retreat to a safe distance once again and watched from afar. Hitsugaya pulled the weapon out of his body and threw it on the ground. Blood began to ooze from the wound, giving Zalya another weapon. Before he did anything else, he had to close this wound. He quickly tore off his sleeve and wrapped it around his body to close the wound.

Zalya watched with a bored expression on his face. "I'm getting tired of this fight. You know you're just going to end up getting killed anyway. Why bother?"

Hitsugaya answered by swinging his sword and freezing the ground where Zalya stood. He refused to die like this. As difficult as this fight would be, he had to keep battling. He had to win.

"Fine by me. I'll make sure it's painful for you, baby."

Hitsugaya took in a deep breath. "Bankai."

Zalya watched in amusement as Hitsugaya spread his ice wings and took to the sky. "I see. And you think that will help you? Let's see."

Hitsugaya didn't want to use his Bankai for this but at this point he felt it would give him an edge. He turned in the air and swooped down in an attack. Zalya stuck his blade straight up and clipped one of Hitsugaya's wings. It wasn't enough to break it or throw him off course, but at least he knew he could hit it.

"You ain't seen nothing yet, baby." Zalya grabbed the blade of his sword with his left hand. He pulled the blade to his side, leaving a red mist trailing between his weapon and his sliced left palm. "Take this!"

Hitsugaya hid behind his wings as the mist of blood turned into bullets which flew at him at an incredible speed. Zalya dashed through the barrage with his sword still stained with his own blood. He threw himself forward and onto Hitsugaya's back. Hitsugaya couldn't attack from this position which was why he didn't want to use his Bankai. He felt it would restrict his movements against an opponent like Zalya. Hitsugaya blocked the oncoming attack with his sword but as soon as their blades clashed, the blood staining Zalya's sword lifted into the air. He never intended for his sword to strike.

Hitsugaya flipped around in the air so the blood would attack his wings instead of his chest. This resulted in Hitsugaya and Zalya having to hang upside-down in the air. Zalya grabbed onto Hitsugaya's neck as his legs dangled over the ground far below. Struggling for breath, Hitsugaya corrected his position, which caused Zalya to land on his chest with his sword in hand. Hitsugaya flipped around in the air again, this time rolling from his left to right. Zalya hung on as Hitsugaya rolled like an angry alligator in the air trying to shake him off. Zalya finally dropped and landed on a rooftop.

He craved a hole into his left palm with the tip of his sword and got ready to use it on the Captain. With a flick of his sword, Hitsugaya froze the blood Zalya had drawn to his hand. "Ah?!" Zalya looked at his left arm, now completely encased in ice. It looked like he was wearing a clear boxing glove.

Which gave Zalya an idea.

Hitsugaya tried to attack from a distance to avoid being cut but Zalya was very agile. Within no time, he had disappeared from the roof and moved somewhere else. He jumped up and punched Hitsugaya in the stomach with his ice-covered hand. He dragged Hitsugaya out of the air and onto the ground. Hitsugaya kicked Zalya off his body and Zalya returned the kick. Hitsugaya got ready to swing his sword but Zalya was slightly faster. He back-handed Hitsugaya across the face with his left hand. Then he punched Hitsugaya in the jaw, cracking the ice.

Hitsugaya's head was spinning. He didn't intend to give Zalya another weapon he could use. He just wanted to freeze the blood and stop him from drawing more of it. Now he was being beaten with a boxing glove made of ice.

Zalya punched him again and the ice surrounding his hand shattered. Hitsugaya was on his knees, spitting blood into the ground. More blood started to ooze from his mouth but he forced himself to swallow it. The blood on the ground was already being used as yet another dagger. Hitsugaya froze it as quickly as he could and tried to get airborne again. Zalya grabbed his tail and dragged him back down.

"Oh, no, you don't!"

Hitsugaya was pulled back down and thrown to the ground. Zalya had so much strength, Hitsugaya could hardly imagine what else he was capable of. He could hardly believe he was able to drag him out of the air with just the strength in his arms. Zalya might have been right about Yagi sending him here because of his power. He was like a one-man army.

Hitsugaya sprang up and drove his sword through Zalya's chest intentionally.

Zalya looked down at the blade running through his chest and out his back. He grinned and leaned forward, causing more blood to spray from the wound.

Startled, Hitsugaya pulled his sword free and jumped back. "I hit his heart. I know I did."

Had he made a mistake?

Zalya took in a deep breath and allowed the blood to pool into his open palm. "You're so foolish. I knew someone was going to try that one day. You think stabbing me in the chest will be enough to kill me because you ripped open my heart? Ha! You're wrong. I can force my heart to keep pumping so long as I have blood."

"What?"

"When you stabbed me, you caused blood to flow. As soon as that happened, I forced the blood that was spilled to re-enter by bloodstream and control it. I'm forcing it to flow through my heart and keep it going. It's a real pain, baby, but it will keep me alive until I can heal."

Hitsugaya was dumbfounded. "How is that even possible?"

"I'm just that good, baby. But by all means, keep hacking away at me and see what happens. Maybe you'll get lucky and severing my body will be enough to kill me. But before that happens, I'm going to use that blood to destroy you."

He had made a mistake, thinking that he could win that easily. Hitsugaya knew there was more to this than Zalya was explaining, but Hitsugaya thought he understood what Zalya was doing to keep himself alive. He was using the blood that was already exposed to the open air to go back into his bloodstream just as he explained in order to keep the heart going. He was not only allowing the blood to continue flowing, but he was also using the blood he could control to seal off any damage the sword had caused.

That was why Zalya leaned forward when the blade was still in his body. It wasn't just to get more blood to exit his body, it was also to get the blood already on the sword to go back into his body and cover the damage done to his heart. Basically, he was using his blood as a bandage. Instead of using it as a weapon, he had used his blood to help the heart heal by covering any damage done to it. Hitsugaya could already picture it in his mind what the blood must have been doing at this very moment. He imagined the blood covering the cuts on the heart and sealing up any tears or lacerations, like tape on a torn piece of paper.

This made things even more difficult. How on earth was he supposed to fight someone who could use his blood in such a versatile way?

His only hope was a hunch. A hunch he still wanted to keep to himself until he knew for certain.

"Shall we continue, baby?" Zalya used the remaining blood spilling from his hand to conjure up a second sword. "I'm really looking forward to killing you."

* * *

Kira dashed forward with his sword at his side. Yaku stood, waiting for him with his precious mirror in hand. Kira stopped just short of Yaku and threw his sword forward in an attack.

"Reflect."

Kira's sword was thrown in the opposite direction and Kira was forced to follow it back the way he came. Kira was dragged a short distance in the dirt and quickly stood up, ready to try again.

"Why?" Yaku asked quietly. "Why do you do this?"

"Huh?"

"Since you are unable to be reduced to a depressing pile of depression, I can tell that you must live a hard life. So why bother? Why fight?"

"Why?" To Kira, the answer was obvious. "Because I can't let you hurt my friends. I'm fighting because I have to win. I have to protect them. I have to do something to stop you."

"But why? Even if you defeat me, more will come. Such is the life of a depressing Soul Reaper. Today, you fight us. Tomorrow, who knows? Your battle is endless. You're going to end up fighting someone else down the road. So why bother at all? Doesn't it seem so... meaningless?"

Kira's brow lowered slightly. "Man, you are depressing."

"I'm just saying is all. Doesn't it seem pointless? Why bother with any of it?"

Kira lowered his sword slightly as he answered. "Because, even if there are bad things in the world, there are good things, too."

"But even the good things are fleeting. The battles that Soul Reapers see on a daily basis... Some of you are bound not to return. You want to protect your friends from me. But tomorrow they may be killed in another way. Wouldn't it just be easier to let it happen? It's bound to happen sooner or later anyway."

"Even if things are fleeting, they're nice while they last. That's part of what makes them so important and meaningful. Knowing that they might not be there the next day."

Yaku raised his head.

"Is that why you're so sad and depressed?" asked Kira. "Have you lost people, too?"

Yaku looked down. "I just don't see the point. There are so few Quincies now... Most of the ones I knew before are dead. Others I know will also die, it's just a question of when and how. Life itself is depressing. You speak of hope and living in the moment. Enjoying things while they last. I just can't see the point. If you get attached to something you know will end, you get sad when it's finally over and there's a sense of emptiness. Don't get me wrong. I've had plenty of good things happen in my life. I just know eventually it will end so I do not see the point."

"So you don't enjoy any of it."

Yaku shrugged. "I'm not very good at putting my thoughts and feelings into words. No one really listens to me anyway."

"With an attitude like that, I can see why."

Yaku looked up again. "I've come to terms on the fate of my kind. I know as long as there are people like you out there, more and more Quincies will die. Even if you don't come after them and hunt them down, you will still be the cause of many Quincy deaths. War, for example. They will come here and attack you and you will defend yourselves which will result in their deaths. Or yours. Depends on who is the stronger of the two."

"Then don't attack us and we won't attack you. See? Very simple way to avoid death."

Yake shook his head. "You fail to see the truth of the matter. So long as there are two disagreeing sides, there will always be conflict. That is life. That is depressing."

The way Yaku put it, it seemed such things really were unavoidable. However, Kira, as bad as things were in his experience, he still wanted to live and enjoyed life. Sure, bad things happened, but life was still good overall. He didn't want to have to fight in deadly battles and war, but this was the path he chose. Not to see battle and kill, but to fight for peace.

"Instead of fighting, why not reach a compromise?" Kira asked him. "That way, there will be no need for war or any battle. We can end conflict through compromise."

"Compromise..." Yaku repeated slowly. "Well... We want you dead. Can we compromise on that?"

Kira flinched. "Uh..."

"See? Battle is always needed to settle such things."

"But why do you want us dead? We're trying to keep the peace and protect people."

Yaku shrugged. "There are many reasons why our kinds do not get along. You have never done anything personally to me. But I still don't like you. No reason, just don't."

"Do you like anything?"

Yaku paused a long time. "I'll get back to you on that."

Kira groaned.

"It's nothing personal. You're just a Soul Reaper and our kinds do not get along. I don't know of any Quincy who has. Such a thing is probably impossible."

Kira shook his head. "No. A couple years ago, there was a Quincy who came here with some other people to help rescue a Soul Reaper. He fought to save one of our own and I guess you can say we're friends."

Kira was referring to Uryu coming with Ichigo's party to save Rukia. It was the only example Kira could think of that might sway Yaku's judgment.

"A Quincy, you say?"

"Yes."

"Saved a Soul Reaper?"

"Yes, yes!"

Yaku looked away. "Leader would call such a person a traitor. Unless he rescued the Soul Reaper for the satisfaction of killing him themselves."

Kira shook his head again. "No. Actually saved the Soul Reaper. Didn't hurt them at all. No ill will whatsoever."

Yaku sighed. "I would have to meet this Quincy myself and see how I feel then. I don't trust many people. Partly because I'm good at reading them. Partly because I don't really trust anyone."

"Not even your own leader?"

Yaku didn't hesitate to answer. "I know he's marching us to our deaths. I suspected as much since he wasn't here himself. If I know anything about our leader, I know he will never be anywhere he feels there is a risk of death. The fact that we're here and he is not, tells me that death will come. That is something he will not be a part of." Yaku clutched his mirror tightly. "But no one ever listens to me. I even told Zalya that and he didn't care. He's too confident in his own abilities. He believes we were sent here not to die but to win. He believes we are the strongest of our group and therefore stand a better chance of winning and little chance of actually dying. Maybe he's right. But I'm not a glass-half-full type of guy."

"Then why do you follow a guy like that? If your leader is trying to get you guys killed, why follow him?"

"It is not that he's trying to get us killed. He just doesn't want death to happen to him so he wants us to risk ourselves where there is no guarantee." Yaku looked at the outer rim of his mirror thoughtfully. "But I follow him because he's strong and so far things have worked out pretty well. Plus, he's a Quincy. I'd sooner follow a foolish Quincy than a brilliant Soul Reaper. You should stick with your own kind."

"You don't have to. You can make connections with people who aren't the same race as you. It's possible."

Yaku ran his index finger along the decorative grooves of his mirror. "It's funny you should say that."

"Why?"

"Because when I was near Kurosaki in the hideout... for some reason... I felt..." He continued looking at his mirror, but his finger had stopped tracing the grooves along the rim. "I felt like I could connect with him. Like somehow we weren't so different. But I cannot explain that. With the traits of both Soul Reaper and Hollow, I don't see how I could ever feel as if we could get along."

Kira had no explanation for that either. Unless he was talking about Ichigo's personality, he had no idea why Yaku would feel this way.

"It's a shame, really," Yaku said with a sigh. "If Ichigo could survive longer, I would have liked to investigate a little further."

Kira's heart started to race. "He's not dead yet, is he?"

"Who knows? Leader estimates he will not last the day."

Kira was worried for Ichigo.

"Much like you," Yaku went on. "You will not survive the day either." He held up the mirror. "Shall we continue?"

* * *

Hitsugaya let the tip of his blade drag across the ground as he rushed forward towards Zalya, leaving a trail of ice where his blade touched. He flung his sword upward and the trail of ice continued forward, freezing everything in its path. Zalya jumped aside, flipping through the air once before hitting the ground and running forward. He thrust his sword up and clashed blades with Hitsugaya.

"Yeah, baby!" The maniacal look in Zalya's eyes sent a chill down Hitsugaya's spine. This man was mentally unstable. He could carry on a conversation well enough, but when it came to fighting, clearly he enjoyed it a little too much. The look in his eyes reminded Hitsugaya of Kenpachi when he went while in combat. He prayed Kenpachi wasn't around to fight this man. He expressed a great interest when he heard about Zalya's power and wanted to test his strength himself. Hopefully he was either distracted by another battle or had people holding him back. The last thing Hitsugaya wanted was for Kenpachi to get involved.

Zalya grabbed onto Hitsugaya's icy wrist and hoisted himself up so he was sitting on Hitsugaya's arm. He pulled his sword up to strike at his neck but was knocked off by his icy wings. Zalya landed on the ground and jumped aside as his boots began to freeze to the spot. The ice sparkled like glitter as Zalya broke free and dashed to the side.

Hitsugaya tried to trap him with several pillars of ice but he fled each and every one, moving quickly across the ice and snow. Zalya jumped onto a pillar of ice and used it to launch himself towards the Captain, his sword pointed forward. Hitsugaya flew higher and Zalya changed coarse.

"Get back here, baby!" Zalya waved his hand and the blood he still had control of moved behind Hitsugaya, blocking his path. He froze the blood and it fell from the sky. "Dammit." Zalya cut himself again and threw projectile blood up at the Captain who ducked behind buildings and pillars of ice.

Zalya did not chase him. He knew if the Captain wanted to attack him, he would come where he was.

The ground under Zalya's feet began to freeze and creep up his legs. Soon he was imprisoned in a pillar of ice. Before Hitsugaya could breathe a sigh of relief, the prison shattered. Zalya could not move to cut himself, but he used the blood staining his clothes to break out of Hitsugaya's trap. No matter what he tried, Zalya could not be stopped. If it wasn't one thing, it was another.

Hitsugaya landed on the ground, panting. He didn't know what else to do but wait him out. Eventually, Zalya would run out of blood. That's what he was betting on. Though powerful, Zalya's anatomy wasn't any different from a human being's. If a human could die from blood-loss then so could he. Unfortunately, the same held true for Hitsugaya as well. He could also die from losing too much blood.

This fight now was really a question of time. How long could Hitsugaya dodge him and who would die from blood-loss first?

"Take this, baby!" Zalya fired another round of blood bullets at the Captain.

Hitsugaya flapped his wings and dodged in the air. The bullets circled back and came at him from behind. Hitsugaya used his sword to freeze them and they fell to the ground like red marbles. He turned his body and flew away from Zalya.

Zalya watched, wondering what the young Captain was doing. He couldn't have been running away. He must have been doing something else.

Impatient, Zalya took the blood Hitsugaya hadn't frozen yet and turned it into a board he could surf on. He rode it into the air, following the Captain's every move. "Like hell I'll let you escape!"

Hitsugaya was in sight then ducked behind an ice pillar. He swooped low to the ground then back into the air.

"What the hell is he doing?" Zalya couldn't figure out what Hitsugaya was planning. Either he was trying not to get cut or hoped to tire him out. Zalya would kill him before that happened.

Hitsugaya felt something pierce his shoulder, causing him to spin half-way around and face Zalya. Zalya was right behind him using his blood to attack while Hitsugaya's back was turned. Hitsugaya had to watch where he was flying so he couldn't keep his eyes on Zalya every second.

The blood from his shoulder curved in the air and struck again, going through Hitsugaya's right calf like a spear. The blood circled a third time and prepared to strike at his stomach. Hitsugaya unleashed a blast of cold air from his sword to freeze the attack in midair.

Realizing Zalya was no longer in front of him, he spun around just in time to block Zalya's sword. Their blades scraped together, screeching like beasts. Zalya bashed his head into Hitsugaya's and grabbed the Captain's blade with his bare hand. He pulled away and the blood rose from Hitsugaya's sword and towards his chest. Hitsugaya quickly unleashed another breath of cold air from his sword which froze the blood as it rose from his blade. Now his sword looked more like a trident, the blood frozen to the blade.

Zalya cut himself again and sent his blood forward.

Hitsugaya's eyes narrowed. It was the same move. Over and over again. If Zalya couldn't cut him then he cut himself. If he kept doing that...

"Die!" Zalya sent the blood towards the Captain. As he swung his sword to freeze it, the blood curved under him and attacked from below. Zalya was moving the blood away from the attack so it wouldn't freeze. Hitsugaya hadn't seen him do that before. "Ha ha!"

Hitsugaya blasted the air below him with ice but the blood had moved again. Zalya wouldn't let the blood be frozen this time.

Unless he had no choice.

Thinking fast, Hitsugaya threw an attack not at the blood but at Zalya. If he didn't do something to block the attack, he would be frozen in place. Just as Hitsugaya predicted, Zalya used the blood to block the ice heading straight for him.

The frozen blood fell but Zalya was nowhere to be seen. Thinking he was attacking for behind again, Hitsugaya turned his body to block. Zalya wasn't there.

"Gotcha, baby!"

"Augh!" Hitsugaya's body pitched forward as Zalya's sword cut into him from behind.

"I knew I would get you eventually. It was just a matter of time." Zalya twisted the sword, causing more blood to spurt out of Hitsugaya's chest. "Whatcha gonna do now, baby? You're stuck."

He was right. Hitsugaya couldn't pull the sword from him and he couldn't attack Zalya pressed against him from behind. The blood from the wound gave Zalya a new weapon to work with. Even if he tried to move or attack Zalya, the blood would reach him first. Zalya could even make the blood attack him right now and Hitsugaya couldn't do anything about it. The situation wasn't looking good for the Captain of Squad 10. From Zalya's perspective, Hitsugaya had lost.

"Does..." Hitsugaya said softly. "Does... everyone... think... I haven't improved... from a couple years ago?"

"Hm?" Zalya looked down. "Ah?!"

Ice was creeping up his arms from Hitsugaya's back. Zalya's sword had already been frozen to his body. Now there was no way for Zalya to pull it out. His weapon was stuck in the Captain's body. If he didn't move, he would also be frozen to Hitsugaya.

He pulled his hands off his weapon and fell back. His hands were pink and sore from being in the ice for only a few seconds. If he had waited any longer...

Hitsugaya turned, his body covered in ice as if he were wearing a suit of armor. It started to break away and fall to the ground below. Hitsugaya looked down at the sword still sticking out of his chest. He had to do something about this.

Zalya went to grab his sword but Hitsugaya was too quick. He threw himself into the side of a building to force the sword out his back. Blood sprayed and dripped, but Hitsugaya didn't have to deal with the weapon in his chest anymore. The sword clanged on the ground and Hitsugaya stood on top of it.

"This is your last chance to surrender," Hitsugaya told him. "I'm giving you a chance. I suggest you take it."

"Or what?" asked Zalya. "I'll meet an unfitting end? Please, baby. Giving up now would be shameful. I've been fighting too damn long to throw in the towel now. Besides, I'd never give up and surrender to a Soul Reaper."

"Your Quincy pride has to stop you somewhere."

"It's not just me being a Quincy. It's about being a man. A real man would never give up, baby. A man takes whatever he wants and takes crap from no one."

"Do you really believe that or are you just talking nonsense to waste time?" Hitsugaya had a feeling Zalya was stalling. He couldn't see any blood around for him to use so he had no idea where the next attack would come from.

Zalya smirked. "What would a mere child know?"

Hitsugaya scowled.

"The fact of the matter is, this fight can go on for hours, baby. I don't mind. I love the slaughter. It's fun. Especially when it isn't my kind on the bloody end. You want me to give up, but I never will. Until my last breath, I will fight. That's what it is to be a man. To do anything and everything it takes to win."

"That's one way of looking at it. But those are just words. You talk about being a man but there's so much more to it. Being strong is only a part of it. What's more important is what you're doing with that power."

Hitsugaya thought of Ichigo willingly walking into a trap knowing the enemy was luring him into one, but doing it anyway to protect them. It was foolish, but Hitsugaya had to commend him on his intention. He wasn't doing it for glory. He was doing it to save countless others.

"This power you have... This talk of strength..." Hitsugaya said to Zalya. "Is it for anyone or just yourself? You killing people and fighting like this... Are you doing it to protect someone dear to you?"

"Protect?" Zalya scoffed. "Protect?! Are you kidding? I'm doing it because I like it. I'm not protecting anyone. I enjoy what I do."

"Even knowing that you're causing pain to so many? Those Soul Reapers you killed were someone's friends. People cared about them and no doubt they cared about someone, too."

"That just makes it even better," said Zalya with a twisted smile. "The screams of agony, the mournful cries... The constant wailing is like music to my ears, baby."

Zalya's smile spread into something Hitsugaya could only describe as nightmarish. This man was sadistic. He didn't care who he hurt or what the consequences were to his actions. He did this because he enjoyed it.

"That's one thing my cousin and I both share," said Zalya. "We both have a cruel heart."

Zalya bit his arm and drew blood. A lot of blood. Hitsugaya was fearful Zalya intended to gnaw his arm off but he stopped before even getting close.

"It's not to everyone, though," Zalya admitted. "Just your kind. My cousin hates Soul Reapers with a passion. I loathe you as well but mostly because we're so different. I have other reasons, but we'll be here all day. The point is, I'm not this cruel to my own kind. Just everyone else. Soul Reapers more than anyone."

The blood splattered the ground and Zalya's boots.

"So answer me this, Soul Reaper..." Zalya locked eyes with Hitsugaya. "Why should I pity my enemy? If Soul Reapers are the ones we're fighting, why should we care what happens to you? Why should we give a damn about hurting you or your friends?"

He could not answer.

"This is war, Soul Reaper. You must hate your enemy." Zalya watched the blood drip down his arm and into the puddle around his feet. "The whole point is to wipe you out, so why should we care? If the whole point is to kill every last one of you, why should we feel bad about it? Why should we feel bad about killing our enemy? That's how you win."

Hitsugaya could see his point but he knew Zalya also saw this whole battle as a game. He saw targets, not people. It was easy for him not to care because they weren't Quincies. He couldn't see them as anything else.

They were enemies and enemies had to be eliminated.

* * *

Please review! ^-^


	32. Chapter 32

**Chapter 32:**

Zalya flicked his arm and shot his blood straight at Hitsugaya's face. He blocked with his wings, but the blood had moved in a different direction. The attack was now aimed at his legs. No, lower. The blood formed a long coil and pulled Zalya's sword from under Hitsugaya's foot.

The blood snapped in the air and flung the sword back into Zalya's hand. Zalya ran forward and clashed blades with Hitsugaya yet again. The blood from his arm flew into the air and struck from above. Desperate, Hitsugaya froze everything in his path but Zalya and the blood retreated.

As Zalya jumped back, Hitsugaya noticed an important detail in the way Zalya moved. He didn't land firmly during this retreat. He stumbled slightly.

This was an indication of Zalya's condition. To Hitsugaya, not everything Zalya had been saying a few moments ago made sense. He seemed to be making it up as he went along, as if he were stalling. Hitsugaya had thought that's what Zalya was doing, but now he knew better. Zalya was beginning to deteriorate.

It wasn't his mental capacity but an effect from having lost so much blood. As a result of drawing blood over and over again, Zalya was starting to weaken.

Normally, in human beings who had their blood drawn or donated, only a pint is taken and there were no significant changes. Not unless they participated in strenuous activities. However, if more blood were to be taken, then the human would most likely suffer some minor confusion or feel lightheaded. They might even start to feel tired and weak.

Hitsugaya had no idea how much blood Zalya had drawn from himself but it must have been more than two pints. It must have been. He had no way to accurately measure it but it was apparent in Zalya's behavior. Zalya might not have been aware of it because his adrenaline was numbing the effects.

Zalya might be in danger and not even be aware of it.

Of course, Zalya wasn't human so Hitsugaya didn't know exactly how much blood-loss would be fatal to someone like Zalya. For all he knew, Zalya's body was stronger so it could tolerate losing so much blood and not be risky for him. However, the body could only withstand so much. It had to give out at some point. There was no way Zalya was immortal.

Zalya fired a round of blood bullets at the young Captain, chasing him towards one of his ice pillars. He was trying to corner him. With Hitsugaya's back pressed against the ice, he would have nowhere to run. "Now I've got you." Zalya threw himself forwards and slammed the edge of his sword against Hitsugaya's. Their blades grinding together sounded like a power sander turned on high. Hitsugaya feared his sword might just break from all this pressure. Zalya still had so much power.

Zalya took one hand off his sword and ran his palm up the side of Hitsugaya's sword, drawing even more blood. At this close range, Hitsugaya would have a hard time dodging. The blood was launched at his face and he blocked with his left arm, keeping his right firmly on his sword.

"It will cut right through you, baby. What a foolish Captain you are... Ah?"

Hitsugaya was not cut. His arm was encased in ice. It acted as armor and protected him from the blood attack.

"Fine." Zalya glared at the Captain and pulled back. He clenched his fist, drawing more blood from his wound and threw it at Hitsugaya. He froze the blood as it came towards him and jumped to a different location. "Not flying anymore, I see."

Hitsugaya glanced at the flower hovering between his wings. He had already lost one, leaving only three petals remaining. The third one was already starting to dissolve.

Should he have used Bankai? Was it a mistake? Was now the time to use it? What about the leader? Shouldn't he have saved it for Yagi? Was now the time to reveal his power? Should he have waited? Was it too big a risk?

These thoughts entered his mind and disappeared just as quickly. He knew what had to be done. He couldn't question himself.

His thoughts went back to Ichigo.

Ichigo didn't seem to question himself. He made up his mind and did what he set out to do. To him, it was clear. He knew what had to be done and did it. However, by not questioning more, Ichigo walked right into a trap. Maybe it was good to have some doubt in order to have a back-up plan just in case things didn't go perfectly. Then again, Hitsugaya didn't know if Ichigo had other plans in mind. He didn't know what he was thinking. He knew his motives, but not what was going through his mind. Maybe he did have a back-up plan. Maybe he knew he was walking into a trap.

His intentions outweighed his fears. Ichigo wanted to protect everyone, so it didn't matter what happened to him. That's what it seemed like to Hitsugaya.

Call it bravery, call it irrational. The point was Ichigo had done something reckless for the sake of others regardless of knowing that it was a trap. Hitsugaya had to repay him. He had to show Ichigo that his efforts were not in vain. If he let this Quincy continue doing what he was doing, then more people Ichigo risked his life to protect would be killed. He couldn't question whether going Bankai was the right thing to do or not. He had to win.

Ichigo was willing to take risks in order to protect others so he had to do the same.

"You're wasting my time!" Zalya shot another round of blood towards him and this time Hitsugaya flew into the air. "So you're gonna fly, huh?"

Zalya saw a corpse laying on the ground and cut it open with his sword. He drew the blood from the corpse and threw it into the air. Hitsugaya froze it as expected. Zalya repeated the action until the corpse had no more blood to give. He moved to a different corpse and that's when Hitsugaya struck from above. He froze the corpse and all the other dead Soul Reapers laying on the ground in various positions.

It pained him a little to do that, but they were already dead. The least he could do was make sure their blood wasn't used to kill more Soul Reapers. He knew they would not want to be used by the enemy.

Zalya stood in front of the ice cocoons, staring at the corpses laying just a few feet away. He was no longer able to reach them. These bodies were useless to him now. He turned back and saw the Captain circling above him like a vulture. Hitsugaya was trying to prevent him from using blood. He wouldn't let him have his way.

"You cannot stop me from using blood." Zalya shoot off from the ground and clashed blades with the Captain. "You cannot stop me, baby!"

Hitsugaya coated his arm with ice and sharpened it to a point. Using it as a spear, he drove it into Zalya's ribs and watched him bleed.

"Hahaha! I thought you didn't want to cut me," Zalya said maliciously. "What a fool, you are!" He summoned the blood to his hand and threw it at the Captain.

Hitsugaya froze the blood with an chilling mist and watched it fall. Growling, Zalya grabbed Hitsugaya's hair and smashed his forehead into his. Zalya kicked Hitsugaya in the stomach and chased him with his sword. Hitsugaya gave Zalya a rough shove, sending him into a building. Zalya hit the building and dropped to the ground.

He stumbled.

Just as he thought. Zalya was weakening.

Zalya ran his sword across his arm, coating it in blood. He launched himself back at the Captain and their blades clashed again. On contact, the blood splattered Hitsugaya's jacket and face. The blood drops turned to needles and pierced his flesh. Blood was drawn and moved to attack with more power. Hitsugaya froze the air around him, including the mixture of his and Zalya's blood. Zalya used the remaining blood coating his sword to turn it into a trident. He threw it towards Hitsugaya who froze the blood to the sword, making sure the blood could no longer move from its current position.

"That's not going to be enough to stop me!" Zalya used the sword as a club and slammed it against the side of Hitsugaya's head. The blow threw him out of the sky and into one of the ice pillars. The hit wasn't enough to knock him out but came very close. Hitsugaya was seeing stars.

Zalya looked at his sword which was still intact but the blood which had been turned to ice had shattered during the attack. Now he had just his regular sword to work with. He didn't mind. As long as it could cut, he could still use it.

He stood over Hitsugaya and got ready to plunge the sword into his chest. Hitsugaya kicked the sword out of Zalya's hands and froze it to the ground. Without his sword, Zalya could no longer fight.

"I've taken away your blade. Your blood and those corpses. You have nothing left," Hitsugaya told him. "This fight is over. It's finished."

Zalya laughed. "I don't give up that easily."

"Just end it," Hitsugaya said in annoyance. He was getting tired of this fight. He was at his wits end. "The fight is over."

"It's over... when one of us is dead." Zalya summoned his bow and fired an arrow at Hitsugaya.

For a moment, Hitsugaya had forgotten about his other weapon. The weapon Quincies were known for. Zalya hadn't used it for a while so Hitsugaya had forgotten that he even had it.

"Crap!" Hitsugaya fled from the onslaught of arrows. He ducked behind a pillar and peered over at Zalya who had stopped firing. He was biting himself again to draw more blood. He drew enough to fashion himself a small board and started to use it to fly into the air. Hitsugaya wouldn't let him.

Ice crept up the walls of the buildings until every inch of them was covered in a hard shell. From the tops of the buildings came jagged ice spears which jetted out in different directions, making it impossible for either of them to fly out.

Zalya shivered, seeing his own breath. It had gotten even colder thanks to the Captain's latest attack.

Hitsugaya stepped forward with his sword in hand. "You have nowhere to go. Just give up."

"I told you, baby. This fight will end when one of us dies. If neither one of us is dead, then the fight's not over." He used the blood to attack Hitsugaya. Then he used his arrows to follow the blood's path.

Hitsugaya froze the blood and dodged the arrows. "Just stop already. Now you're just using the same attacks over and over again."

Zalya started to lift his arm.

"If you insist on biting yourself, then I'll just freeze your mouth shut."

"Don't bother." Zalya scraped his arm against the side of small ice pillar. It wasn't a deep cut but his flesh was torn. Just to prove his point, Zalya broke off a piece of the ice and held it in his hand like a knife. "You've already given me all the weapons I need."

Hitsugaya looked around at the icicles and jagged edges of the pillars. Without intending to, he had given Zalya others means of cutting himself. He was very resourceful, which Hitsugaya was already aware of. It was foolish of him to not see him using the ice against him.

Zalya threw the piece of ice at Hitsugaya, missing. "I can use any of this ice I want against you. It's sharp enough to inflict some damage either to myself or to you. You foolish complain."

Zalya stopped, realizing his words were starting to slur. He meant to say 'Captain' not 'complain'. He had used the wrong word. His lips were starting to go numb.

It was so cold in this ice prison that he was starting to lose feeling in his face and hands. He had to attack quickly before the Captain took advantage of this.

Zalya broke off an icicle and jammed it into his arm wound. He forced the blood out and used it to strike the Captain. Hitsugaya froze the ice with little effort. Zalya broke into a run with every intention of using the ice in his hand to stab Hitsugaya.

He stumbled and fell. His legs had gone numb as well.

Did the Captain intend to freeze him to death? Didn't this cold bother the Captain at all?

Hitsugaya stood still. He wasn't shivering. Yet Zalya was freezing cold.

With a snarl. Zalya bent his knees and threw himself at the Captain. Hitsugaya dodged the ice and watched Zalya sail past him. Zalya landed on both feet and sprang at Hitsygaya again. The sudden change in direction caused Zalya to feel dizzy and slid across the ice when Hitsugaya dodged him a second time.

Zalya stood up, shivering. He felt so cold. And tired. He felt weak.

Zalya looked at his hands. His fingertips were starting to turn a pale blue color. The rest of his skin was pale. He looked up at Hitsugaya who did nothing but watch in silence. He knew Zalya was starting to figure it out.

He had dark rings under his eyes and his lips were turning blue. His whole body was pale and he felt weak. His body was shivering but not from the ice.

It all made sense to him now. He knew what was happening. Zalya felt cold but it wasn't as a result of being surrounded by all this ice. His coldness was internal. He was aware of his shivering but it wasn't from the temperature as he had originally thought. The ice had fooled him.

He wasn't shivering from the cold. It was from the lack of blood in his body.

That was why he was so pale and weak. He had lost too much blood. Zalya was freezing because of all the blood he lost. His body was starting to shut down.

"I see..." Zalya turned to look Hitsugaya in the eye. "Was this your plan? Use all this ice so I wouldn't notice? Fool me into thinking I was cold from all the ice and snow when I was actually freezing from lack of blood?"

"Actually, no," confessed Hitsugaya. "I use ice to fight. It wasn't my intention to fool you. The ice being around so you wouldn't notice how much blood you were losing was just a fortunate accident. But you should have been aware of your condition, cutting yourself as much as you were. Is it because you're impulsive or that you just cut yourself without thinking? You had no idea what you were doing to yourself, did you? You just kept cutting yourself because that's how you get a weapon you can control. You didn't stop to think what it could be doing to you. As if it were an inexhaustible resource."

Zalya smirked. "Actually... That's only part of it. Of course I cut myself without thinking in order to get at my weapon of choice. But even I know not to hack off a limb in order to get a lot of blood. I take only a bit from myself then use it to attack those around me so I can get more blood. I just have to start it."

Zalya didn't always think before he acted, but he wasn't stupid. He knew he could die from blood-loss. He was usually more careful than this.

"It's the fact that I've never fought anyone for this long before in a one-on-one battle. I'm used to slaughtering a bunch of people and moving on. I've never faced someone like you before. I guess I got careless. And desperate."

Hitsugaya couldn't help but feel a little proud at hearing Zalya admit that he hadn't faced someone like him before. He gave Zalya a run for his money. He forced him to draw more blood from himself because of his fighting style and weapon of choice. The ice really did help him, but Hitsugaya didn't do it alone. If it weren't for all those people who fought Zalya and survived to pass on the information, Hitsugaya might have not lasted as long as he did. He might have been thrown off guard if he went into battle without knowing what to expect from a man like Zalya.

"I've never faced anyone like you myself," said Hitsugaya. "You're very strong. I might not have survived if this battle had taken any longer. Or if I had gone in without knowing what you could do."

Zalya chuckled. "Who said it's over?"

Hitsugaya stared at him. "You've lost too much blood. You would have bled out by now if you hadn't used that blood from before to keep your heart pumping. The rest of the blood was used against me and is now frozen on the ground. You can barely stand. You cannot continue the fight."

"I told you before, Soul Reaper... It's not over until one of us is dead."

"You're going to die from blood-loss shortly," Hitsugaya told him. "Look at you. The state you're in... You won't last."

"I'm not dead yet." Zalya looked at his feet. He searched the ground for something and when he found it, he smiled.

Zalya stomped on some slush he found on the ground. It was blood. This blood wasn't encased in a block of ice like the others. This had been rendered powerless by the icy mist Hitsugaya unleashed during one of the attacks. The blood wasn't completely frozen, but it had been reduced to slush. When Zalya stomped on it, he was crumbling the small fragments of ice mixed in with the blood. By doing this, he was making the ice smaller and smaller until it was mostly liquid again.

Now it was a puddle of red. Ice and blood mixed together.

Zalya smirked. "Don't you get it? I can't be stopped."

The puddle began to ripple. It bubbled and shook and finally lifted into the air.

Hitsugaya watched in horror.

"It's really no different from how I kept my heart pumping from before when you attacked me. Remember?" Zalya commanded the blood to his body. "I can still control it. I can shatter the ice and warm it up until I can reach the blood inside. This blood wasn't frozen through. You just turned it to slush. But don't worry. I can still use it. Just as I can draw blood from my body, I can put it back in."

Hitsugaya watched the blood float to Zalya's arm and enter his body through the wound.

"Hahahaha! You see?" Zalya gloated. "I can return it to me. This is my blood! I can put it back in as easily as I took it out. I won't die from blood-loss. No way, baby. Before I get close, I can simply put it back in. As for those corpses, I can always chip away at the ice until I reach them and use that blood to attack you and chip away at the blood frozen all over this place."

Zalya's veins pulsed as the blood re-entered his body. The blood floating in the air dwindled down to only a few drops and then those last remaining drops entered Zalya's body.

"You see, baby? I cannot be defeated. I won't die from blood-loss. I just have it enter my body again and I'll be as good as- ugh!"

Zalya clutched his chest.

Hitsugaya blinked.

Zalya gave several quivering gasps, a look of panic on his face. His breathing was sharp and quick. He couldn't draw a full breath. He sounded like he was fighting for air.

Hitsugaya understood what was happening. Zalya had made a crucial mistake by putting the blood back into his body.

Judging from the look on Zalya's face, he wasn't aware of the error. He had no idea what had caused this.

"Putting the blood back into your body to keep yourself from dying from blood-loss was actually a good idea. It might have worked... if you hadn't used that blood."

"Wh- what?" Zalya gasped quickly. His chest was heaving.

"The big difference here isn't blood type. After all, it is your blood you're using. The mistake was using blood that was, as you said, slush. It's temperature."

Zalya's plan might have worked if he had used blood what was the same temperature as the rest of the blood inside him. He was using cold blood.

"You can't put cold blood into someone's body. It causes a reaction. When you forced cold blood into your body, you sealed your fate."

Putting the cold blood straight into his body was fatal. There was nothing that could be done now.

"Like I said, things might have been different if you had used warm blood. The blood you used was practically frozen. Putting cold blood into your body is deadly. It was a foolish mistake that ended up costing you your life."

Zalya had unintentionally killed himself. He wanted to save his life but ended up killing himself faster.

If only he had known.

Hitsugaya sheathed his sword and deactivated his Bankai. "It's as you said... The fight's only over when one of us dies. So I guess the fight's over."

If only he hadn't recalled the blood to his body. Cold blood should never be injected into a warm body. A lesson he learned too late.

Zalya fell to his knees. He looked up at Hitsugaya, the dark rings under his eyes were even darker now. Zalya gave one final smirk and said, "That's cold, baby."

His body seized up and Zalya fell over.

The ice around them started to melt and crumble away. Hitsugaya stood over Zalya's body as it happened. The sunshine broke through, lighting up the street, helping the ice melt even faster, or so it appeared.

Zalya was no longer breathing and his body was cold to the touch. He was dead. The infamous blood-wielder Zalya was dead.

Hitsugaya fell to his knees and slumped against a broken piece of building. He couldn't move anymore. He pressed a hand to his chest wound, moaning in pain. He knew someone would find him. Someone would help him.

He was trying to stand strong in front of his opponent, but Zalya was incredibly strong. If his plan to recall the blood to his body had worked the way he wanted, Hitsugaya might not have been able to last much longer. He might have lost the fight. Thankfully, he didn't.

"It was Zalya's stupid mistake... so can I really call this a victory..?"

Maybe he could. If he hadn't frozen the blood, it wouldn't have prompted Zalya to cut himself more, which would have led to him dying from blood-loss. It was him turning the blood Zalya used to slush which caused his death so maybe Hitsugaya could call it his victory.

Now that he thought about it, it didn't matter. He just had to stop Zalya from killing anyone else. As long as he was defeated, Hitsugaya didn't care who was responsible.

* * *

"Hyah!" Kira took a swing at Yaku's flank but Yaku's mirror forced his sword back. No matter where he struck, Yaku's mirror would stop him. If only he could attack from two directions at once. Then again, when he tried that with Hisagi, Yaku was agile enough to avoid them. Apparently having poor depth perception made him an expert at dodging anything that came his way.

Yaku took a few steps back and stood still, waiting for the next attack.

He was a defense fighter, Kira realized. When he wasn't using his mirror to drain people of their will, he stood by and waited to be attacked so he could throw it back at his opponent. As long as Kira did not attack, Yaku couldn't do anything. With Yaku's one attack being useless against Kira, he could do nothing else but wait.

This was both good news and bad. As long as Kira did not attack, Yaku could not attack. However, standing and staring at each other wasn't going to win anyone the fight. Kira had to bring Yaku down and the only way to do that was to attack.

"But how?" Kira asked himself. "How can I possibly attack when everything I throw at him is just going to be sent back at me?" There had to be another way.

Yaku's eyes drifted to his left, but didn't appear to be looking at anything in particular. He was just glancing in that general direction.

"Zalya..."

"Huh?"

Yaku's expression did not change. His face remained calm and melancholy. His eyes, however, flickered with emotion. Only for a second, then was gone.

"It has grown strangely quiet in that direction. Before I could sense Zalya fighting and enjoying himself quite a lot. Now... I am having trouble sensing him."

"You mean his Spiritual Pressure has gotten weaker?"

"Faded, actually." Yaku gripped his mirror. "Or so it seems."

Did that mean that Zalya was defeated? Had the terrible blood-wielder been stopped? Kira hadn't been paying too much attention to what was happening around him, focusing all his attention on Yaku, so he didn't notice. If Zalya had been defeated, that was wonderful news. According to rumor, he was one of the most challenging Quincies to face off against. His power alone was terrifying. With him gone, this only left Yaku.

If Zalya was defeated, then it meant they weren't all powerful. As frightening as Zalya was, he was not invincible. This made Kira want to defeat Yaku even more now. If the terrifying Zalya could be defeated then there was no excuse for him not to win this fight. He had to take down Yaku. It was all up to him.

"I knew he would be a challenge for you Soul Reapers to face," said Yaku calmly, "but I also knew Zalya well. I knew he would get cocky. He relies too much on his own blood when cutting someone else is not a possibility. My guess is that someone either cut him into little pieces before he could react in time, or he simply bled to death. If the latter occurred, then it was an utterly boring end for him. The way he boasted, I imagined him going out in a fiery explosion and putting on a grand show. Much to Zalya's delight, I might add. I figured he would go for something like that. He was very theatrical. For him to face a less than showy demise would be depressing. Partly for him."

"Did you want Zalya to die or something?" Kira asked.

Yaku sighed, shrugging his shoulders. "I don't know. But I will admit that him going out in the 'blaze of glory', is that what it's called..? Anyway, for him to die in a very showy way would be fitting for a man like him. But for him to die so simply would be something I could have seen coming and always did. I warned him but he never listened to me. How depressing. That is my point."

"Because you get to say 'I told you so'?"

Yaku shrugged again. "I suppose. But then again, I could be wrong. Perhaps he isn't dead yet. I could be mistaken. Whether he is or not isn't really my concern. I had a feeling he might get reckless and find himself in a fix."

Yaku spoke so casually, as if he didn't care. This was a man he fought alongside and called his comrade. Did he really feel nothing for him? Did Yaku feel anything for anyone? Even when they died?

What must that have been like to not feel anything for someone's loss? To be unable to mourn. To not feel sadness. For Kira, he thought that was truly depressing.

While it must have been seen as convenient and fortunate to be able to turn those feelings off, Kira understood their importance. Feeling sad wasn't a pleasant feeling but it was necessary. He would never want to trade it for anything. He couldn't give it up.

"Emotionally distant, aren't you?" Kira said to him.

Yaku looked down at his mirror. "I wouldn't say that. Again, I have difficulty expressing my emotions through words. I can't always say what I mean or how I feel."

"But you do feel?"

Yaku did not answer.

"Forget it." Kira didn't have time to waste. He had to think of a way to combat Yaku before more Soul Reapers showed up and became victims of his mirror's power. If that happened, Yaku could use the people as a shield or even kill them before Kira could reach them.

However, he still could not figure out a plan of attack. He had to think of a way to get close to Yaku without him using that mirror to throw him back. There had to be a way to attack and have it not backfire on him.

Then, after a few moments of thought, he had an idea.

* * *

Please review! ^-^


	33. Chapter 33

**Chapter 33:**

Yagi searched the area. Ichigo was nowhere to be found. He had a feeling the Arrancar had taken him to a safe place and hidden him away. Veneno may have been an Arrancar, but he showed more intelligence than Yagi had given him credit for. Veneno wouldn't be foolish enough to leave Ichigo out in the open where he would be easily spotted. He would have hidden somewhere with cover. This narrowed Yagi's search down to areas with trees and tall grass. A village would have been another good hiding place but they wanted Ichigo to avoid populated areas so hiding him in a village would have been foolish.

"They're all fools." Yagi searched the area with his eyes before continuing his long march across the barren land. The area he was traveling had very little grass and what grew was yellow and straw-like. "They are protecting him for nothing. Ichigo will die one way or another. It's only a matter of time. I thought they would have realized that by now. What on earth are they fighting for?"

He had planned it all out perfectly so there would be no way for them to win. Especially if it involved saving Ichigo's life. That was impossible. If the Soul Reapers refused to put Ichigo out of his misery, the poison he was injected with would finish him off. It was only a matter of time. Ichigo didn't have long.

"What on earth are they fighting for?" he asked himself again. "Why protect him when he's going to die anyway? Do they really think their efforts will save him? How foolish. What good will caring for him do if he's going to die either way? It makes no sense. What are they fighting for? What? And why?"

Yagi paused, trying to sense Ichigo's whereabouts. He must have still been in his Soul Reaper form. As a Hollow, it was easier to sense where he was. His Spiritual Pressure was immense. Even as a Soul Reaper, he had quite a bit of Spiritual Pressure. Yagi started to wonder if Ichigo was already dead. It was sooner than expected but with Ichigo constantly fighting back against the transformation, it didn't come as too much of a surprise.

He sensed something. Someone was behind him. It wasn't Ichigo. He knew it was a Soul Reaper. The same female from before. He turned around to greet her.

"I am sick and tired of you interfering, girl. Enough already. Accept your loss and move on. There is nothing you can do."

Rukia held her sword high with confidence. She wasn't going to let him get away. She wasn't going to let him near Ichigo, wherever he was.

Yagi faced her with annoyance. "Accept it. You cannot win. Even if you do by some miracle manage to take me down, there is nothing you can do for Ichigo. He will die. Whether I get near him or not, his fate is sealed."

"Don't be so sure," Rukia said, trying to block out his words. She didn't want to believe for one second that he may have been speaking the truth. "It's not too late for Ichigo. He can still be saved."

"Foolish girl," Yagi said with a sneer. "He has one foot in the grave as we speak. You really think you can save him? He chose this path. Let him take it to the end."

"I can't accept that. I won't."

"Then you will also die."

Further away, the two Captains watched Rukia face off against Yagi along. So far they appeared to be just talking but they worried what would happen when they ran out of words. Neither of them were in any position to help her. They were injured and hadn't received proper medical attention. It was a sloppy patch-up at best. Rukia had done what she could for them but it seemed that they would not be able to see battle for a while.

"We have to help her," said Linnette. "Rukia can't do it alone. Yagi is too strong."

"I know that. But..." Shinji wanted to help but his body was aching too much. He feared going into battle in this state. He would surely lose. If he tried to help Rukia, he may only get in the way. He was worried that if he did attempt to help her, that he may need rescuing and that would cause Rukia more problems. Going in would cause more harm than good.

"It's going to be hard to take him on, no matter how many people we have," said Rojuro. "We have to keep him alive because he has information we need. It's much harder to fight someone you want to keep alive than fight someone who-"

"I don't care!" Linnette shouted. "It's not worth all this! You guys getting hurt and everything else."

"But he could have a cure," he told her. "Just in case he speaks the truth, we must hold back on the off chance-"

"But he doesn't!" Linnette shouted at him. "I'm with Veneno on this one. I don't think Yagi really has a cure. I think he's just saying that to save himself. And even if he did, he'll never give it to us. Yagi wants us all dead, even Ichigo. So why would he ever give us that kind of information if it goes against what he wants? He knows we're screwed either way so there's no way he's going to help us. If we get any information out of him at all, it's most likely going to be a lie. We can't trust him."

The Captains looked at each other. "She has a point. Even if we did torture this guy, it's unlikely that he'll give us the correct information. Giving us what we want will be counterproductive. He wants us dead. No negotiations, no compromises. He just wants us dead. Ichigo, especially. So there's no way this guy will work with us."

"So let's stop him," said Linnette.

"But what can we do? We're on our last legs as it is. Yagi has barely fought at all so he's still got a lot of strength in him."

"Rose is right. And we were still given orders not to kill Yagi. Even if we're pretty sure he's lying, we can't go against the orders we were given by the Head Captain."

"Yes, you can!" Linnette snapped. "I'll let you. That way it will all be on me. The Head Captain can't get mad at you if I'm the one who forced you to do it."

They exchanged looks of uncertainty. Neither was certain what to do. A part of them was saying to do one thing and another part was telling them to do another.

Finally, Linnette took it upon herself. She couldn't wait any longer, knowing that Ichigo was running out of time. Yagi was going to be their biggest hurdle. He had to be stopped so they wouldn't have to worry about him doing anything else; whether it be to them or to Ichigo. Linnette had made her decision.

"I order you to fight!"

They both stared at her.

"Don't let Yagi hurt Rukia. If you have an opening, if it's in your power to do so, then kill him!"

They looked at each other. She hadn't called upon their Hollows so they were still aware of their surroundings, but they knew their Hollows had heard her command. If that was what Linnette wanted, then they would do it.

"Looks like we don't have much of a choice again, Shinji. If we decide to do something else, our other selves are going to take over and make sure we do what she wants."

"It might be for the best," Shinji sighed. "I really want to kill this guy myself. Now I have an excuse. But..."

Looking down at his sore and battered body, Shinji wondered if they would be able to do it without dying in the process.

"And I order you not to die."

They both turned to Linnette.

She wasn't using them as tools. She really did care about them. She didn't want to see them die, even if it meant letting the enemy go. She wasn't willing to sacrifice them. Not even to win.

"Fight with me," she commanded. "Help me fight Yagi and protect Rukia and save Ichigo. Help me."

"Enough of this nonsense," said Yagi, raising a weapon. "You're wasting my time. One way or another you are all going to suffer and Ichigo will die. If this is the way you've chosen it to end..."

"It won't end for Ichigo," said Rukia.

"So you say. But I'm telling you that it is pointless to fight. You cannot save him."

"I'm not giving up, no matter what you say. There's still a way, even if you say there isn't. You're just trying to make us feel helpless."

"Only because you are. Now leave me in peace and-"

Yagi cut his speech short, seeing something come his way. It was a Kido. He jumped aside to avoid it. He glared in the direction of the two Captains.

Shinji readied another Kido. He was going to restrain Yagi. If he couldn't move, he couldn't fight or go after Ichigo. Once he was restrained, they would decide what to do with him next.

"You're fool enough to try using that technique on me? I dare you to do it again." Yagi pointed his weapon at them. "Try it."

Shinji knew he was being baited but didn't care. He used another Kido to restrain Yagi. To his amazement, Yagi knocked it aside with his hand. Shinji refused to believe that he was immune to Kido but it looked like Yagi could combat it somehow. He must have been using a technique Shinji was unfamiliar with. Shinji tried again, studying his movements carefully to see how he was doing it.

It looked like Yagi was using his bare wrist to swat the Kido aside as it approached his body. The leader of these Quincies possessed different abilities they were unprepared for. It was no wonder he was in a position of power. He was strong.

Shinji fired a different Kido and Yagi swatted it aside with his hand. Again and again. As he swatted the Kido, he took a step closer. He was inching his way over to them for an attack. Shinji knew he was going to try something and had to react.

Yagi reached forward with his hand to grab Shinji's wrist when suddenly, from out of nowhere, something happened. A powerful cero was released. Not one but two. Two different ones.

Yagi jumped aside but the hem of his coat was singed. He looked to his right to see what it could be. The Captains and Linnette looked to their left.

Veneno and Sharif were standing nearby, both poised and ready for an attack.

"You again," Yagi growled. "I should have known you would have been able to regenerate from those wounds but I left you there to die anyway. I thought your remaining human parts would take longer to heal, but I suppose your Hollow parts have corrupted the rest of your form, blending together until your own body can no longer tell them apart."

Sharif snarled at his former leader, hearing once more how he had tried to have him killed.

"You heard him, right?" asked Veneno. "He just admitted he tried to kill you. Again."

"Yeah, I heard."

"But you still missed."

"He moved."

"No. The path of your cero was off a little," said Veneno softly. "It's true he did move out of the way, but I saw its path. If he hadn't moved, it still wouldn't have reached him like mine."

Sharif swallowed.

"Don't fire a warning shot. Don't hesitate. He is not your leader anymore."

"I- I know that."

"Then why are you having doubts?" Veneno pressed.

Sharif was so certain this was what he wanted. He wanted revenge for what Yagi had done to him and to the innocent. He knew Yagi had tried to kill him not once but twice. No, more than that by now. Yagi openly admitted that he wanted him dead and did not care.

So why couldn't Sharif bring himself to do it?

He had fought with Yagi. Fought against him. Fought to kill him. All in this one day. He was still angry and he still wanted to tear into him, but couldn't do it. Though he was pieced together with Hollow parts, a part of him was still a Quincy and Quincy were loyal to their own.

He still respected Yagi far too much to kill him. His Quincy blood and mind were holding him back. He hadn't renounced that part of himself yet. He was still a proud Quincy. A Quincy who had always believed in Yagi and was loyal to him.

He had decided to help support Veneno in this fight, but he knew it wouldn't be easy. Not because Yagi was too difficult to beat, but because he was having doubts. Self-doubts. Sharif's heart and mind weren't fully in it. He was silently reprimanding himself for fighting alongside this Arrancar and for turning on his own kind. This was shameful. He knew he had good reasons for doing it. He knew that Yagi deserved it, but his feelings were too strong. His Quincy self was telling him that this wasn't right.

"Block it out," Veneno told him firmly. "He is not your boss anymore. You don't have to put up with his crap for one second more. Just forget it. Keep reminding yourself that he did this to you. That he tried to kill you many times. Keep telling yourself that. He doesn't deserve your pity."

Sharif swallowed again. He knew Veneno was right but he still couldn't do it. This was far harder than he thought. He just didn't have the will to go through with it.

"Sharif."

Hearing Yagi speak his name cause his heart to skip a beat.

All those years of loyalty. Of following Yagi around like a faithful pet. Blindly obeying his every wish and getting little in return except for a few kind words of praise or the satisfaction of doing the task given to him. Was he to throw that all away? Yagi wasn't so bad. He did have his reasons. Maybe even doing this to him was justified. He could forgive him for this. Of course he could. For his leader, he would do anything. A Quincy...

A Quincy.

He was doing it again. Bonding only with Quincy and never anything else. Loyal to his own kind and no one else. To forgive anything and everything they did and believing that it was acceptable simply because of their race. To him, a Quincy could do no wrong. A Quincy was perfect and that included his leader.

How could he not forgive his leader? He was a Quincy just as he was. Therefore, whatever he did was fine. Sure, they had a falling out, but he shouldn't be fighting against him. Least of all with this Arrancar. Or these Soul Reapers. What was he thinking? This was wrong. He should beg Yagi for forgiveness and go back to his side. That was where he belonged. Getting kicked and pushed around and ultimately killed. That was fine, right?

Sharif narrowed his eyes. He had to stop these thoughts. He couldn't take action because of these conflicting feelings. He no longer knew what was right. He thought he knew what to do. He thought his mind was made up. He thought he had come to a decision, but...

Yagi smirked at him. He could read him like a book. He knew Sharif well. He was very predictable character-wise. Him turning against him was the one and only thing that ever took Yagi by surprise. He knew what kind of man Sharif was. He knew what was in his heart. He knew Sharif didn't have it in him to fight against his own kind. It was wishful thinking on his part.

He couldn't do it.

This was pleasing news for Yagi. Not only would Sharif hold back in the fight but it also meant he would cause problems for the rest of the group. He was a liability. A hassle. Sharif would sooner turn on them than he would on Yagi.

It didn't matter what Yagi did to him. He knew no matter what he did, Sharif would always forgive him. Just like he would any Quincy. Anything his kind did was acceptable. Even this. He would always support a Quincy. No matter what.

"You can't do it, can you?" said Yagi. "How could you? We're blood. Not family but we are the same race. We are Quincies. Who else would you side with? Who else would understand you?"

Yagi spoke the truth. This was what Sharif always believed.

What was he thinking? A Quincy had his pride. Fighting alongside these Hollows and Soul Reapers to take down a Quincy was shameful. Sharif wasn't an asset. He was a hindrance. He would fail on purpose and then take them all down the first chance he got. Then he would go to Yagi and beg for forgiveness.

"You were only able to fight me that time because you let your rage control you," said Yagi. "You weren't thinking clearly. Now that you've had time to calm down and your blood has stopped boiling, you can see what things are once more. Now you can think and understand."

Sharif tried to block out what Yagi was saying but he listened anyway. He couldn't help himself. He knew Yagi was right. He was the fool. It was foolish of him to think he could fight.

"Your mind is a jumble. You think you should do one thing but your heart tells you another. I understand. You know I do. I'm the only one who can. I understand you because I am a Quincy as well."

Sharif lowered his Hollow arms, losing all will to fight.

"Why would you wish to fight against me, of all people? Forget that I am a Quincy like yourself. Have I not been good to you? Did I not pick you out to join me? Out of all the other Quincies I could have chosen, you made the cut. I singled you out and brought you here with me. I saw something in you. I knew you were strong. Is this how you want to repay me for putting my faith and trust in you?"

"Cut the crap!" Veneno snapped.

Sharif and Yagi both turned to him in surprise.

"You're just trying to talk your way out of this. You know what you did and you're trying to confuse him to make him think he's the one in the wrong. You're something else, you know that?" Veneno pointed a finger at Yagi's chest. "But you are telling the truth a little bit in what you just said."

"And what's that?" Yagi asked.

"That you understand him. But not because he's a Quincy. That has nothing to do with it." Veneno narrowed his eyes at Yagi. "Now I see it. I get it. An understanding. You can read people very well. You know their character and what sort of person they are so you can predict their moves. Most important, so you can pick ones most easy to manipulate. You select people of a certain character because you can see what's inside of them and can use it to your advantage. You didn't pick Sharif because you saw potential in him. You did it because you knew you could manipulate him. You know which buttons to push and what words to string together to make sure things go your way."

Sharif's anger was back. Veneno was right. Yagi knew exactly what to say to get him to do as he wished. There were plenty of strong Quincies he could have chosen but he picked him and three others. Not just for power but because he could control them and make them do what he wanted. He knew what to say and how to say it to make them come over to his side of thinking. Not only that, but to make them have doubt in themselves so the instant they started thinking of rebelling against him, they would start to feel that it was wrong of them and blindly follow whatever it was he said for them to do. Yagi was doing that right now. He was making Sharif think he was doing something wrong and tried to make him come over to his side once more, despite the things he had done. He was a manipulator.

"You speak as if I were cruel to him," said Yagi. He turned to Sharif. "Tell me, have I ever beaten you? Have I ever cursed you or done terrible things to you? Did I not feed you and take care of you? Give you a place to stay and kept you at my side through thick and thin? Did I not praise you when you did well? Was I really such a horrible person to you?"

"Uh..." Sharif couldn't answer that.

"You experimented on him against his will," said Veneno. "That's cruel enough."

"I saved his life by doing that."

"Not out of the goodness of your heart." Veneno looked him up and down. "That's the reason, isn't it?"

"What reason?"

"You have three reasons to do what you did to him. Don't you?"

Yagi frowned. "I'm certain I don't know what you're talking about."

"When you experimented on him. You expected to find him dead, didn't you? In that cell? Once you saw he was alive, you panicked. You were afraid of him coming after you."

Sharif's eyes widened. "Wha..?"

"Knowing how Sharif is, since you're so good at reading people, you knew there was a way out. You had to cover yourself. So that's just another reason you did what you did. First, to see if you could do it. You wanted to satisfy your curiosity. Secondly, you wanted to use him as a weapon. So you turned his body into something useful. But the other reason was so you could patch him up and tell him how you worked so hard to save him. That way, Sharif wouldn't have the urge or will to attack you. He wouldn't get mad if he knew you had saved his life and helped him get stronger. You knew he wouldn't turn on you then."

Sharif searched his feelings and knew that was exactly what had happened. To keep Sharif from coming after him, Yagi fixed his body and made him stronger. That way, Sharif would not have a reason to attack him. He would be grateful and forgive him for trying to have him killed.

Yagi really knew who to pick and what he could do to get them to stay on his side. Even when he messed up or did something that would cause them to turn on him, he knew exactly what to do to remedy that wrong and keep them as allies. Of course, he could have just killed Sharif then and there once he saw that he was alive and end it, but Yagi still needed a weapon. He used Sharif yet again. He made sure to keep him as an ally and turned him into a powerful weapon. Every action he took was carefully planned out.

Yagi looked at Veneno coldly. He knew Veneno's words were dangerous. It was enough to put doubt in Sharif's already conflicted mind. He had to shut him up.

"Enough." Yagi raised his Seele Schneider and pointed it at Veneno. "You dare to stand between a Quincy and his goal, you must be prepared to fight. Not run your mouth and spout such nonsense. It does not matter anyway. Quincies will always stick together. Most think we're extinct and many of us are gone because of Soul Reapers. Even more reason for us to stick together and fight. We should bond with each other and be as one formidable force."

"Then why discard one of your own if you feel that way?" asked Veneno. "Why would you try to kill one of your own kind if your goal is to join together? Together you can create an army but you can also relate to one another and as a rare race, you want to be together. I can understand your reasons for that. So why try to kill one of your own? That makes no sense to me."

Yagi frowned.

"You're lying, aren't you? You're just saying things others want to hear. You don't mean any of it."

"Actually, I do," confessed Yagi. "I do wish for Quincies to live together and for the continuation of our race and I wish for the Soul Reapers to parish. However... while I will see to it that my goals are not abandoned and that my feelings, personal or not, remain true, it is not worth my life. Therefore, I will not hesitate to sacrifice one of my own kind if it means I get to live."

He knew it.

"So you'll walk over those precious to you because your life is worth more?" asked Veneno.

"Of course. Quincy or not, I value my life. So even if I do care for my own kind and seek their longevity, I will use them as a shield if it keeps me alive."

Yagi turned and looked at Sharif who was still standing conflicted behind Veneno. Even now, he would not move.

"I saw fit to sacrifice him to Ichigo for two reasons. One, his other half annoyed me so and I considered that a real problem. It could hinder my goals. But mostly, I wanted to test Ichigo's willingness to kill. Of course, I could have used something else. Like an animal, for instance. But not for what I had in mind. I knew Ichigo had not only seen Sharif before, but he also knew he was a person. Killing an animal and a human being are two different things. I had to make sure Ichigo could kill a living person with flesh and blood and family and hopes and fears. So it was necessary. I had to see if he could murder. So Sharif was the best choice. I could get rid of his annoying half and see if Ichigo could kill someone he could recognize all at once. Two birds with one stone."

"And you just happened to kill one of your own because you thought it was necessary. So much for preserving Quincy life."

"Don't criticize me, Arrancar. I've already explained my reasoning."

"Yeah, but I still don't agree with it." Veneno gripped his sword tightly and dashed forward.

Sharif saw Veneno rush at Yagi and felt the impulse to stop him but his body would not move. Instead, he called out a warning. "Leader!"

Yagi blocked with his Seele Schneider. He forced Veneno back and turned his body away as Veneno came at him again. Yagi walked backwards as Veneno advanced.

"I'm surprised at you," Yagi said to Veneno. "After all the things the Soul Reapers have done to you and your kind, why on earth would you try to protect them? Why fight for them? It makes no sense."

Veneno slashed at Yagi but none of his attacks made contact with his body.

"After all the experiments and tortures they've put you through. And didn't Ichigo try to kill you?"

"Not all the Soul Reapers did that me to. It was a select few," said Veneno through his teeth. "And I gave Ichigo little choice. If anything, I made him do it."

"But you could have ended things in a different way. He didn't have to fight you."

"It would have meant abandoning his friends," said Veneno.

Yagi chuckled. "So what? If only he had done that, you two wouldn't have ended up fighting as you did and he wouldn't have tried to kill you. There would have been peace if he had abandoned them."

"Ichigo would never abandon his friends and that doesn't make him foolsih to chose such a thing. He didn't make the wrong choice! He wanted to save them! To protect them! And now I know why he did! I understand why he would choose to do such a thing and why he does the things that he does! I finally get it and I wouldn't have if he had done something you would have agreed with."

"You don't know that."

"I don't have to explain anything to you! You will never get it anyway and I know you're just trying to get into my head and manipulate me like you do with everyone else! My bond with Ichigo and the other Soul Reapers I've become friends with is too strong for you to sever!"

Veneno jumped back, bent down and launched himself at Yagi's legs, hoping to cut them from his body. Yagi flashed away and appeared to Veneno's right. Veneno jumped away and slashed at Yagi from above. Yagi blocked every move.

Shinji watched the fight and knew something had to be done. He couldn't let Veneno fight Yagi alone. He was still weak from his earlier battle. However, he and Rojuro were not in the best of shape. Shinji was doing a little better than his fellow Captain but he knew entering battle like this was going to be risky. He hoped his body would be able to handle what he had in mind.

"If I can just hold him in place..." Shinji raised his sore arm. It was shaky but his aim was good. He would not miss. "Bakudo 61 Rikujokoro!"

Yagi found himself trapped between five sheets of light, digging into his torso like thin, flat daggers. He couldn't move from this spot.

"Thanks, Shinji!" Veneno took a flying leap, raising his sword above his head. He was going to cut off Yagi's head. Unlike the rest of the Soul Reapers, Veneno never intended to keep Yagi alive. He was going to kill him.

Blood Spear would save him. Yagi could still use it.

He looked over to the left and saw Rukia watching them. If he used it now, he wouldn't have it later and she knew that. He couldn't use it, but if he didn't Veneno would kill him in this very moment. He had to think of something he could do quickly.

"Sharif!" he called in desperation.

It was his only chance. It was time to see just how devoted Sharif was to Yagi.

"Yaaah!" Veneno gave a battle-cry and brought his sword down.

There was a loud clang as his sword rang against hard flesh and bone. Sharif had stepped between them at the last moment and took the hit for his leader. Veneno's sword was wedged part way through Sharif's right hand which was raised up to shield Yagi.

He had acted on impulse. He didn't make the conscious decision to do this but something inside of him brought him between Yagi and the enemy.

The enemy? No, that wasn't right. Yagi was his enemy. No, he wasn't. He couldn't be. Not his leader and fellow Quincy. No, he was. He had to be. After everything he had admitted to and everything he had done. Of course Yagi was his enemy. Then why would he protect him?

"Thank you, Sharif."

Sharif turned. He was unable to speak but his mouth made small noises like a mouse caught in a trap.

"You did well." Yagi broke the Kido and freed himself. He aimed an arrow at Veneno's head.

On a new impulse, Sharif used his wounded arm to wrap around Veneno and carry him to safety. He set Veneno down far from Yagi's arrows.

"What the hell?!" Veneno snapped. "I had a clear shot! I had him! What were you thinking?"

"I'm sorry. I couldn't help it." Sharif turned away. "I could help it..."

Veneno put a hand on Sharif's shoulder. "He is not your leader anymore," he said firmly. "Get that through your head. You owe no loyalty to a guy who tried to kill you."

He knew it, but changing what was embedded in him from an early age was not something he could easily get rid of.

"Just stay back." Veneno came at Yagi again. He swung wildly at his body and Yagi kept stepping back to avoid his swings.

Shinji bent down on one knee to keep himself steady. "Hado 31, Shakkaho!"

He left a trail of holes in the dirt where each attack missed its target. Yagi was just too fast. Shinji kept firing but it was pointless.

Yagi started to fire arrows at Veneno. Then he got the bright idea to fire at the people nearby. He fired at Shinji and at Rukia. Then he fired at Sharif who wasn't taking part in the fight at all.

Sharif started to lift up his arm to protect himself but he didn't have to. Veneno had thrown himself in the line of fire and deflected the arrow with his sword. He protected him.

"Stop attacking people who aren't fighting, you jerk!" Veneno yelled and charged back into battle.

Sharif watched Veneno quietly, wondering why he would try to protect him. It didn't make a lot of sense.

"Hado 33, S- Ahh!" Rukia was thrown backwards by Yagi's attack. He was taking on two people at once. Before she could recover, he kicked her in the stomach. Veneno took her place and slashed at Yagi's arms. Yagi ducked and kicked Veneno in the shin to get him off balance. As he fell, Rukia jumped in and slashed at Yagi from behind.

"It's pointless," Sharif said to himself. "They're not going to win. Leader is just too strong for them."

"Then why don't you take part in the fight?" asked a feminine voice.

Sharif knew who it was and shut his eyes in disgust. "You know damn well why I can't do that. The Arrancar was this close to causing leader serious injury and I stepped in and stopped him. I'll do it again."

"I guess you will always defend your leader, hm?"

"I guess so..." Sharif used to be proud to say such a thing but now it filled him with disappointment.

"That's the difference between you and me. I really don't care about leader. He never really treated me well."

"Can you blame the guy? I can't stand you either."

"Ah, but we're two peas in a pod, you and I. Fufufufufu..!"

"It's because of you he saw fit to get rid of me in the first place. If it weren't for you, none of this would be happening."

Sharif felt a hand on his chin and opened his eyes. His white reflection was staring back at him.

"Now, don't blame me for all this. He admitted himself that he had other reasons for doing what he did. He wanted to test Ichigo's killing ability so he had to sacrifice one of us in order to do it. It was nothing personal."

Sharif turned away. "I know, I know. But... This is so hard!"

"You're making it harder than it has to be."

"You don't get it," he said to his other half. "All my life I've been devoted to the Quincy race. And now..."

"Devotion can be a good thing but it can also be limiting. Who was it who only played with certain people as a child? Who was it who gave up on many wonderful things because it didn't involve Quincies? You limited yourself back then and you're still limiting yourself today. It has to stop at some point."

"It's not easy to break a habit. Especially one you've been doing since birth."

"It's not like I'm telling you to quit breathing."

"No, you're just telling me to switch sides."

"There isn't the Quincy side and the Soul Reaper side. There's right and wrong. Either race can commit either one."

Sharif looked up. Who would have thought his other personality could be so wise?

"Face facts. Yagi might have good intentions with certain things, but he's going about it in the wrong way. I'm all for living in peace but him killing us needlessly in order to do it is something I can't get behind. And even you're having issue with him sacrificing innocent people. All those poor souls being turned into Hollows just to make sure the serum will work on Ichi-cutie was just warped and unnecessary. It was cruel."

"I know that," said Sharif. "But..."

"No buts. How can you be loyal to a guy who doesn't think twice about killing you?"

"But he's part of my race. He's like me. We can understand each other."

"Oh, really?"

"Yes," said Sharif. "I know him. I don't know these Soul Reapers or that Arrancar."

"That Arrancar just took an arrow for you."

"He deflected it, there's a difference."

"But he did take the time to speak with you. He shared personal things with you. Has Yagi ever done that?"

Sharif hesitated. "I don't know." He growled. "But he's good to me."

"Oh, yes. How could I forget about him holding the door open for you when Ichigo-"

"Forget about that. It was just one thing. He's praised me for a job well done. He gave me a roof and food and all sorts of things. He's a good man. He understands me. He knows me."

"And as a Quincy, you two have a bond."

"That's right. We do. What more is there to know? Being a Quincy means you understand each other."

"Uh-huh. Does he know your favorite food?"

Sharif paused. "Huh?"

"Does he know your favorite food? Does he know your worst fear? Your favorite drink? Your last name?"

Sharif looked down.

"He doesn't does he? Do you know his? Do you know his favorite food and drink?"

"I don't know!"

"Exactly! You don't know. Face it, Sharif. You don't know anything about Yagi and he knows less than that about you. The only reason you like him so much and are loyal to him is because he's a Quincy. That's it!"

Sharif knew his other half was right. It was true. He didn't know anything about Yagi. He was only devoted to him because he was a Quincy. That was the one and only reason.

"If he weren't a Quincy, you would have never made it this far with him. You wouldn't be loyal to him at all if it weren't for that single reason."

Sharif looked down. "You're right... I don't know a thing about him... And he doesn't know me."

"He never took the time to get to know you. Never. I guess he doesn't care about you that much. He just sees you guys as pawns he can use then throw away. No attachment necessary. Face facts. He doesn't care about you or anyone other than himself. If he did, he would have known your favorite food was moose jerky and sweet things. He would know you hate miso soup. He would know you got a scar on your knee from when you fell off your bike when you were a child. He would have known your mother was a seamstress. He would know when your birthday was and that you like yellow cake over chocolate despite chocolate being a tad sweeter. He would have known you moved once in your childhood and would be able to name at least one of your friends. Or at the very least know which schools you went to. He would also have known that you slept with a stuffed giraffe until you were fourteen."

"No one knows that!"

"But you get my point. These are all basic things. He knows nothing about you. And you know nothing about him. Out of all the things I listed, do you know any of those things?"

Sharif looked down.

"I thought not."

"Look, I know he doesn't know really anything and that neither do I but..."

"But how can you have a bond and be loyal to a guy you know nothing about? Everything you've devoted yourself to is based solely on race. That's it! Don't you see how stupid that is?"

"Then what am I supposed to do? Bind myself to these Soul Reapers and that Arrancar? Do you know how stupid that sounds?"

"More stupid than devoting yourself to a person based solely on race and not character? Hm."

Sharif growled. "What do I know about these people other than them wanting to save Ichigo Kurosaki?"

"You spoke with that Arrancar. You know something about him at least."

"Yeah, but..."

"And you know these people aren't willing to walk over each other to achieve their goal. There's a plus."

These Soul Reapers were loyal to each other and weren't willing to abandon one another to attain something. The injured weren't discarded or used as a shield. They were being protected and healed. That was more than could be said about Yagi. He helped them to a point. If it meant risking his life, Yagi would not do it. He only helped them if he had something to gain.

Veneno had nothing to gain by protecting Sharif. Why would he put himself at risk of his sake?

"Come on," prompted his reflection. "You know the right path to choose. Why are you so hesitant?"

"I told you before, it's not that easy." Sharif sighed. "I thought I had made up my mind to fight Yagi but I couldn't do it. I ended up protecting him when they had a chance to stop him. I stood before him and knew what I should do. I thought I could do it, but I failed. I couldn't bring myself to do it. Even with that cero. I missed him on purpose. I just can't do it."

"Try."

"Don't you think I've been trying? I know what needs to be done but I just can't bring myself to go through with it. Something keeps holding me back. Every time I get close, something ends up pulling me away. Even with my mind made up, or so I think, there's another part of me telling me that it's wrong and I should still stay with Yagi and fight for his cause. I know it sounds stupid but that's how it is. I can't easily get rid of it. I just can't, no matter how hard I try."

"I guess Yagi was right to choose you when he needed followers. He only picked people he knew he could manipulate. Boy, has he got you brainwashed."

"I'm not brainwashed. I'm just conflicted." Sharif sighed. "If only there was a way to shut out that voice completely so I won't have doubts. So I won't be pulled in another direction from the one I've set my mind to. I know what needs to be done. Now if only I could get myself to do it. If only I could shut out the doubt. If only there was a way..."

Sharif hated this confusion. Knowing what had to be done but having doubts that it was the right thing to do. To make matters worse, he wasn't sure which part of him was causing certain doubt. Was it his mind or his heart? His Quincy self or his Hollow self? Was it emotion or reason? Logic or instinct? Was there a difference? Were both working simultaneously but both had their own bit of doubt in them? He was so conflicted. There was no stopping it.

"There is a way," said the female voice. "But you may not like it."

"What is it?" asked Sharif.

"Have Linnette do it."

Sharif's heart sank. "What?"

"Have her sing for you."

"Are you kidding me?" Sharif snapped. "After all the crap you gave me about Yagi manipulating me, you want me to be manipulated by someone else? Are you joking? Are you insane?" It was trading one evil for another as far as he was concerned.

"Not so much control, really. Since you're not really a Hollow, I doubt it will be her actually controlling you. To be honest, even I don't know what's going to happen. Everything about us is a mystery. What will happen, our relationship, her ability. Who knows? I was just suggesting something I thought might work. It did before."

Sharif had to think about this but there was little time. "But us being how we are... Who knows what could happen?"

"I know. It's a mystery."

"What will happen to us? It's unclear and therefore dangerous. With us... we're kind of jumbled together. Though I don't have a Hollow's mind, there are parts of me that are Hollow."

"Like myself."

"I know. But... So..." Sharif clenched his fists. "I don't know what's going to happen if I allow this. It could be very dangerous. It could be chaos."

"But it could help."

Sharif had to make up his mind quickly.

"So..." said the feminine voice. "What will you do?"

If he allowed Linnette to use her voice on him, it could calm the storm in his mind and body. It could unify him so he won't be so conflicted. It could make things better, but it could also make things worse. He wasn't sure what would happen so it was scary for Sharif to consider taking such a risk.

Sharif clenched his eyes tight and opened them. The battle with Yagi was still going on. Something had to be done.

He didn't want to fight his leader, but he had to. These conflicting feelings and thoughts were too much. He had to do something.

"Ow!" Shinji lowered his arm.

"Let me see," said Linnette. She looked at Shinji's burnt arm. Even using Kido was painful for him after a while. He needed to rest but he was still willing to fight. "I'm not sure what to do," she said to him.

"There's nothing you can do. I just need to heal." Shinji looked at the fight raging on in front of him. "But..."

"I can give it a go," said Rojuro. "I've been resting so I should be able to do something."

"You were in worse condition than I was, Rose. If you go in there before you're ready, you could end up getting yourself killed."

"So we should just leave it to them? I'll have no part of that. Come on, Shinji. We managed to take on Aizen and survive that. This is just one Quincy."

"But we lost that fight. Ichigo was the one who won it for us."

"Let's not go splitting hairs. We're stronger than we think. Let's get out there and prove it. To ourselves and to that Quincy."

"The spirit is willing, but the body is weak, Rose," Shinji sighed. "While I want to help and though I agree with you, I'm worried that our bodies will give out long before we can reach that goal. If you go out there, your body could give out on you and that will give Yagi a clear shot at you. Then instead of being helpful, you'll be in need of rescue. We need to think carefully about it."

"Every battle has risks, Shinji. I love that you're trying to look out for me, but really. Are you willing to hold back so much?"

"It's not that-"

"Girl."

The three stopped and faced Sharif.

"Me?" Linnette asked, pointing to herself.

"Yes. Linnette, right?"

"Mm-hm." She nodded.

"I have a favor to ask."

"What is it?"

Sharif's jaw went stiff. He took in a deep breath and said, "Use your voice on me."

"What?"

"Make me fight. Make me fight Yagi."

The Captains turned to each other. Having Sharif fight would be better since he wasn't in as bad of shape as they were. However, he seemed to be more of a liability.

"I'm so conflicted but I know I have to fight Yagi. But part of me keeps getting in the way. So I want you to help me out. Maybe hearing your voice will tune out the conflicting part of me that's still loyal to Yagi. I want to fight him but I can't with that part interfering. So I need help to block it out. Use your voice to help me out." Sharif had made up his mind. "Please."

Linnette was willing since he had asked. However, she wasn't sure what would happen since he was different from other Hollows. He wasn't quite a Vizard either, so she wasn't sure what would happen.

"Ok. I'll do it. But are you sure?"

"Just do it before I change my mind."

It was a request she was unprepared for. She wasn't sure what would happen to him. She had tried using her voice on him before but he reacted differently from other Hollows she had faced. His reaction was unpredictable. It seemed that his other half was not in control when she used her voice before. Maybe only part of it was. Sharif was in control and aware of what he was doing, whereas Vizards would no longer be conscious and their Hollow halves would take control of their body. Sharif seemed to be dominate even when she did use her voice.

Unsure whether or not it would work, Linnette tried anyway. Maybe if Sharif was willing to let something happen to him, things would be different this time. His willingness might be a factor.

Her voice washed over Sharif as he stood there and listened. Every note, every pause he could hear clear as day. She had a really pretty voice but nothing was happening. He didn't feel any different.

Maybe nothing would happen. Since he didn't have the mind of a Hollow, nothing would take place. Maybe this while thing was all for nothing.

Just as he was starting to lose hope, he felt something. It was very slight, but he felt it.

Peace.

For a brief moment, the turmoil inside him was gone. The storm raging inside of him disappeared and he felt at peace.

This tranquility was strange to him but he welcomed it.

He looked down at Linnette and watched her lips move. He didn't feel loyal to her in the slightest. There was no desire to call her his master or his new leader. There was no devotion. However, he felt a very slight connection. Nothing major. He just had no quarrel with this girl. He was indifferent. Yet there was a slight pull in another direction. It was very faint, but present. He liked her.

Still there was no overpowering feelings of love or a desire to do her bidding. Her voice wasn't working in the way he had hoped. He had hoped that she would help him fight Yagi but there was no desire to heed any command.

However, there was no conflict, either. He no longer viewed Yagi as his leader. Only as an enemy who needed to be destroyed. Not because of anything Linnette was telling him but because of what he already knew inside.

He could do it. He could fight now. He knew he could.

Not for her or for anyone, but for himself.

"Grah!" Veneno slammed his sword against Yagi's weapon, hoping to break it, but a Seele Schneider was much harder than he anticipated. He used his sword like a bat and kept swinging it down from his shoulder. Over and over again.

"Tusgi no mai, Hakuren!"

Yagi jumped aside. The blast just missed Veneno but he was undeterred. He rushed at Yagi with all his might and slashed at his chest. Yagi blocked and kicked Veneno in the stomach. Before he could be sent flying backward, Veneno grabbed Yagi's ankle to get him off balance. Yagi hopped two steps to keep from falling and that was when Rukia charged in from the side.

"I do not have time for this."

Yagi threw himself forward into Veneno to avoid Rukia's attack and knocked Veneno onto his back. He step on Veneno's stomach as he moved away. He fired a single arrow at Rukia and tried to leave, but Veneno had a hold of his boot and wouldn't let him go.

"Get your filthy hands off me, Arrancar." Yagi kicked Veneno in the face.

Then he sensed someone at his back. He quickly turned around and saw Sharif take a swing at him from the side. Yagi jumped away and started to retreat.

Now that Sharif was taking part in the fight, Yagi's odds were not good. There were too many people to consider. While many of them were injured, they were still able to put up a fight. His best chance was to attack those in a weakened state if he hoped to decrease their numbers. He wanted Ichigo to do that for him but at the rate things were going, that would not happen. If he didn't put an end to them now, they would keep coming after him. It looked like he would have little choice.

Sharif swung at him again but missed. Yagi knocked his arm aside with his weapon to keep him from taking another swing. Yagi then rushed to where the Captains stood with Linnette. They would be the easiest to get rid of.

"Tusgi no mai, Hakuren!"

Yagi dodged again. The main attack missed him but then his foot slid out from under him. Ice was paving his path to the Captains. It would not be easy to reach them with this in his way.

The ground started to freeze all around him. The ice was creeping up his foot and over his ankle. He had to move otherwise he would be frozen in place.

Now that he thought about it, taking out the stronger ones may have been a better way to go. They were a bigger threat, but they would not be so easily gotten rid of. Though they would be more of a challenge versus the injured and weak, they posed a greater danger to himself.

Though Veneno was injured and still recovering from his earlier battle with Mordere, he still had some fight in him. Sharif seemed to be trying to attack but Yagi didn't consider him to be too much of a threat. Rukia was the only one with the least amount of injuries and she wielded the ice preventing him from continuing. She would be the one he attacked first. Rukia was his best bet for now.

"Hado 31, Shakkaho!"

Yagi ducked down and dashed to his right. Then he sprinted left and came straight at Rukia. Within no time at all, he was on top of her.

"Ah!"

Yagi's hand closed around her neck and he threw her to the ground. He kicked the sword from her hand and stood on top of her small body.

"Rukia!" Linnette screamed. Her body was already in motion. She was running to help her.

"Linnette, don't!" Shinji yelled, but she was already gone.

Rukia pressed her hand against Yagi's chest. "Hado 31-" His grip tightened around her throat, silencing her.

"I really wanted to have Ichigo be the one to kill you. I wanted to see the look on his face... if he ever returned." Yagi raised his weapon. "But you leave me little choice."

Taking a flying leap, Linnette threw herself on Yagi's back and pulled him away from Rukia.

"Ow!" Yagi felt her nails digging into his face and neck. "Get off me!"

"No!" Linnette pulled with everything she had. She grabbed a fistful of Yagi's black hair and pulled, causing his head to jerk backward. "Run away, Rukia!"

Yagi was still on top of her so Rukia couldn't leave that spot. Even if she could, she didn't want to leave Linnette. Not with her literally on top of Yagi. Though grateful, Rukia knew Linnette was in great danger being this close to the enemy. Even worse, Rukia couldn't attack without risking Linnette's life.

"Get off me now!" Yagi reached over his shoulder but couldn't pry her off. "Get off, you little brat!"

Linnette wrapped her legs around Yagi's torso and kept her arms wrapped around his neck. She wasn't going anywhere.

Rukia's mouth opened. The way Linnette hand him formed a perfect opening to end the fight. Yagi's chest was perfectly exposed. All she had to do was stab him and it would all be over. As long as she drove her sword in straight, Linnette would not be injured. Not as long as the sword didn't go all the way through his body.

While it was good news, it also posed a problem. Their orders were to keep Yagi alive. Though killing him would end the fight, it was against orders. They still didn't have a cure so Yagi was still of use to them. They couldn't kill him yet.

Although, Veneno did have a point. Keeping Yagi alive meant nothing if he wouldn't cooperate with them. Any information he gave them, if any, could have been a lie. There was no point in sparing his life if it held no benefits.

Even if it was against orders, Rukia had to do it. He was an enemy and that's all there was to it. Yagi would provide them nothing.

Rukia raised her sword and aimed carefully.

Suddenly, Yagi jerked to the side, trading places with Linnette. Rukia froze. Her sword was now pointed at Linnette's ribs. If Yagi didn't hold still, she couldn't get a clear shot.

Using her sword was too risky. A shorter blade would be much better for something like this. A dagger would provide more accuracy, but there were none around. Yagi's Seele Schneider was a bit shorter than a sword so perhaps that could work.

Yagi saw Rukia coming towards him with the sword in her hand. His life was in danger.

"Rah!" Yagi grabbed Rukia's wrist, still gripping her sword, and pulled her in close. He bent his body down and grabbed Linnette's dark hair and pulled. Her arms left his neck to grab her hair to pull it from his grip. Yagi quickly swung his body and threw them both down.

The girls landed beside each other and quickly got to their feet.

Yagi had a hold of Rukia's sword and his Seele Schneider. He spun his body with both weapons pointed outward.

Both girls raised their arms to protect themselves.

Yagi reached into his pocket and took out something small. He threw it on the ground and there was an instant explosion. Both girls were sent flying backwards from the blast.

"Ahh!"

Rukia landed on her shoulder and looked around for Linnette. She was tossed into the air and was caught by Shinji before she could hit the ground. He pressed her close to his chest, turning his back to the explosion, just in case anything else came their way.

"Are you alright?" he asked her.

"I"m fine. Thanks."

"I don't know what Pharaoh was thinking."

It wasn't Shinji.

"Honestly. Letting you go running off into danger like that. What if something had happened? I can't let any harm come to you."

Suddenly, Shinji's tone changed.

"Oh, shut up! I was coming to get her, but you took control just as I started running, so don't give me any of that." Shinji had regained control of himself and was lecturing his Hollow. "Linnette, are you hurt?"

"I'm ok."

"She's fine, Rose. You can stop worrying."

"I was worried about both of you!"

Sharif sighed in defeat. It was clear that her voice had little effect on him. It might have calmed the storm brewing inside of him but hadn't done much more than that. If it had, he would have come running the instant Linnette's life was in danger, like Shinji had done. He hadn't taken a single step closer to where Linnette stood and never tried to shield her from harm.

Clearly her voice didn't work on him the way it was supposed to. It had so little effect, Sharif deemed that it wasn't effective at all. If it were, something else would have happened if Linnette's life were threatened. Apparently it only stopped him from harming her rather than compelling him to rush to her aid the second anything happened.

This wasn't what he had hoped for. Ending the conflict within himself was one thing, but how was he supposed to battle? Her voice hadn't given him the urge to fight and she couldn't command him. It had done nothing. He still couldn't fight Yagi.

"You're bleeding."

"Huh?"

"Your hand."

Linnette looked down. The palm of her left hand had been cut and was slowly oozing blood. She had never been hurt like this before. She had gotten minor cuts in the past while playing or during other activities but she had never gotten a cut this bad before. She hoped she wouldn't need stitches. There were no medics out here to help them.

"Here." Shinji tore off the frayed hem of his sleeve and wrapped it around Linnette's hand. "It doesn't look too bad but we need to keep it covered.

"Ouch!" she hissed inwardly. "It stings."

"Yes, I know. I'm sorry."

Sharif approached and looked at Linnette's hand. He could see the blood dripping down her arm as Shinji wrapped it. He tied it tight and she whimpered in pain. She was hurt.

His face started to twitch.

Rukia was injured as well, but she was well enough to come over to check on Linnette. After making sure Linnette wasn't going to bleed to death, she turned her attention to the half-breed standing nearby.

"Are you ok?" she asked.

Growling, Sharif bolted past Rukia and over to Yagi.

Yagi turned and saw him coming. Thinking he could still command him to some extent, he gave Sharif an order. "Stop."

Sharif kept coming.

"Stop."

He wasn't stopping.

Yagi's eyes widened and he took a step back, preparing for what was to come next.

"Ragh!" Sharif slammed his fist into the earth with such force, it caused the land to tremble. Yagi stumbled back and Sharif smacked him hard with his other fist. Yagi flew backwards and landed on his side. He scrambled to his feet, seeing Sharif come at him again. He was trying to kill him. He was serious this time.

"Sharif, stop it." Yagi couldn't reach him like before. This was different from the blind fury he had before. Sharif was furious, but something about him seemed unstable. "Stop it, Sharif!" While similar to the first attack, Yagi could tell that something was different. Sharif's reason, perhaps? "Sharif, stop!"

"And why should I listen to anything you have to say?" he asked in a snarling tone of voice. "Why should I ever, ever, ever listen to you ever, ever, ever again?"

Something had changed inside Sharif.

"Why? Why? Why? Why should I? Why? After you tried to kill me twice? Maybe more? I've lost count, but twice was plenty. After you turned me into a monster? Most of all..." Sharif stared straight into Yagi's eye with ones full of confidence and loathing. And insanity. "After you hurt Linnette? And made her bleed?"

Yagi backed away. Sharif really was unstable. Something had changed within him and it must have been her doing.

Her voice had an effect on him after all.

"I can't stand it. I can't, I can't, I cant. I can't stand seeing her in pain. I can't stand by and let you hurt her. I can't let you get away with making her bleed. Not her. No way. No way, no way, no way, no way."

"So you've finally lost it."

Sharif growled at him. "I've lost my sense of loyalty to you, if that's what you mean. Not that you ever deserved it to begin with. I don't know what I ever saw in you." Then Sharif's voice changed. "Fufufu! You never liked me anyway. Fufufufu!"

Sharif was speaking with two different voices. One was male and the other speaking style was unmistakeably feminine. It seemed his other personality had decided to join him. They were both operating the same body together. That much was obvious but Yagi was curious which one was more dominate. Were they both controlling the body at once or were they alternating? He couldn't tell.

This made reasoning, or rather manipulating Sharif, impossible. With Sharif, he knew which words to say to get through to him and how to do it. His female personality was not so easily controlled and never liked Yagi to begin with. He knew now that he would be unable to talk Sharif back over to his side. He would not be able to put doubt in his head and control him as he had done earlier. Now Sharif truly would try to kill him without hesitation.

Sharif swung his arm down from over his head and split the earth where Yagi had stood moments ago. Yagi fled backwards to avoid Sharif's arms but it was proving difficult. Rather than plan out his attacks, Sharif was using brute strength without any sort of pattern. He was just rampaging like a beast, only far more dangerous. There was no telling what his state of mind actually was. The way he spoke and the actions he was taking caused Yagi to believe Sharif had lost his sanity.

"Attacking a girl is one thing, but her? My sweet, sweet? You'll get nothing if you behave that way, Yagi. Must be a gentleman if you want someone to listen to you. To devote themselves to you. Not behaving like that, no way."

Yagi narrowly missed being struck with Sharif's arm. He was getting closer.

"Your sweet words and charm will only get you so far, Yagi. Fufufufu! Why should I listen to someone who hates me so? Just hates and hates and hates and hates. Might as well be loyal to someone who likes you back. Right, Yagi-sweetie? You don't deserve such a title. My mistake, mistake, mistake."

"Uh!" Yagi threw his arm over his head. His knees bent deep as he blocked Sharif's Hollow arm. He was able to hold it back with his bare arm but he could feel the damage being done inside his body. His bones ached and the pain spread throughout his body. He quickly threw Sharif off but was thrown into the air by his other arm.

"Not so fast!" Sharif jumped into the air and slapped Yagi straight down like spiking a volleyball. Yagi hit the ground hard and was pinned down by Sharif's foot. He bent over Yagi's body and roared like a beast.

Yagi glared into Sharif's furious eyes. This was truly what Sharif wanted. No longer thinking with a mind set on loyalty to his race alone, he was able to see what needed to be done. He wasn't abandoning his race. He was detaching himself from Yagi. He was the one who needed to be done away with.

There was such hate in his eyes. Hate which Yagi had never seen before. Sharif had never given him such a look. Not even when they were fighting the first time only hours ago. The eyes of someone who saw him as he truly was: an enemy.

He would not go down like this. Not by the hands of his former comrade and certainly not by the hands of a Hollow.

Yagi raised his arm and fired an arrow at close-range. It sank into Sharif's chest but didn't kill him. Yagi still couldn't tell where the human parts ended and the Hollow began. Sharif lurched back and Yagi somersaulted backwards and landed on his feet. As soon as he was standing, he started running.

"He's getting away!" Rukia shouted.

"I got him!" yelled Rojuro.

"Stay out of it! Out of it, out of it!" Sharif screamed. "He's mine! Mine! Mine! Mine!"

The Soul Reapers didn't stop because Sharif told them to. They were frightened of him. Sharif was very unstable and unpredictable. No one knew what he was capable of now. They were worried if they got close, they would become his next target.

Sharif sprinted after Yagi and took a flying leap with his arms held high. "Ruagh!"

Yagi turned at the last moment to face him. He pulled something out of his pocket and threw it at Sharif.

There was a massive explosion and both men disappeared from view. Yagi emerged from the smoke for a brief moment as he jumped up to kick Sharif in the face. Sharif was thrown backwards and landed in the dirt.

Yagi appeared a second time from the smoke and pointed his bow at Sharif's head. "A rabid dog needs to be put down," he declared and fired.

Veneno appeared between them and with his bare hand, knocked the arrow off course. As he turned to face Yagi, he saw the Quincy running off again.

"After him!" The Soul Reapers were up and running. They were all intent on hunting Yagi down and finishing him. They were not going to let him escape and retaliate. Not this time.

Veneno started to follow, then turned. Sharif was still on the ground. He went to his side and bent down. "Are you ok?" he asked.

Sharif's eyes rotated to look at him from the side. He let out a moan as his only response.

Veneno rolled Sharif over to take a look at his chest. He had taken some damage but it looked like he would be fine.

"You owe me nothing," said Sharif. "Why would you try to help me like that? Is it because you need me? You need me to help you take Yagi down?"

Sharif appeared more coherent now. It seemed whatever state he was in before had worn off.

"Of course we need you to help us fight, but that's not why I did it."

"Then why?"

Veneno's answer was very simple. "Don't you want to live?"

Sharif flinched. Such a simple question caused him so much doubt and worry. "I..." He tried to think. "I'm not sure."

"Not sure?"

Sharif paused, trying to sort his thoughts. "I always lived for them. And for Yagi. Not anymore, now, but..." Sharif looked at his ugly Hollow body. "Look at me. I'm a Hollow but not entirely. I'm a monster."

Veneno shrugged. "It's not so bad."

Sharif winced, a feeling a dread latching on tight to his heart. "I don't know if I want to live like this. I don't want to die, but what kind of life could I possibly have like this? The way I am now? I don't fit in with my kind anymore. If a Quincy saw me, whether or not they knew my story, they would shoot me dead on sight. My own kind would want to kill me. Even Yagi admitted that he would have killed me when this was all over."

His initial reaction to being brought back from the brink of death was gratitude. He was thankful that Yagi had saved his life. Now that he had time to think, he wasn't so sure that was the best thing in the world. Yagi's intentions had nothing to do with it. It was the dread of not knowing what life would be like now that he was different. He imagined it was similar to how a running champion would feel if he had both his legs amputated. He felt lost and scared and worried and confused and sad and uncertain.

"I can't be with Yagi anymore. My own kind will try to kill me. I have nowhere to go." Sharif wanted to cry, he was so full of sorrow. He had no one and nothing. He had nothing to go back to and nowhere to go from here. He imagined if he were to live through this, he would be wandering aimlessly until the day someone came along and ended his life.

"If you want to..." said Veneno. "You could come and live with me."

Sharif turned to Veneno in surprise. "What?" he said in disbelief.

"Why not? I have a place. It's not much but it's mine. There's lots of room and I wouldn't mind the company."

"Are you kidding me?" Sharif turned away in annoyance. "Live with an Arrancar? Me?"

"Why not?" asked Veneno. "You said you have nowhere to go. You're not all Quincy anymore now, are you? And you said it yourself that your own kind would not accept you as you are now. Your other part is Hollow, isn't it? So why not stay with me?"

"Such an invitation..."

"Hey, you said before that there was no one better to understand you than your own kind. Since you're part Hollow now, that means we can understand each other to some extent. Is living with me really the worst thing in the world? Take it from me, you don't want to be alone. It's a good way to get messed up."

"But with an Arrancar? Are you serious?"

"I'm friends with Soul Reapers. Come on, we've been through this already." Veneno smiled at him. "Like I said, I wouldn't mind the company. It's better than you wandering around alone. Isn't it?"

Sharif didn't know what to say.

"Out of everyone, this guy opened up to you the most and you know more about him than you do someone like Yagi," said a feminine voice in his head. "Why not go for it? Fufufu..!"

Sharif sighed. "I'm not sure."

"You don't have to decide now. But the offer's on the table if you want it."

Sharif sighed again. There were worse things, he could imagine. Veneno, though an Arrancar, was kind enough to offer him a place to stay. He was also decent enough to help protect him during the fight and he even stayed with him when he couldn't move. He even spoke to him and shared his personal feelings and thoughts. Veneno wasn't so bad. Just different.

Could he really get along with someone so different from himself? With another race?

Those Soul Reapers seemed to get along fine with him. Even the human girl and the two Vizard Captains. Such a thing was possible. Sharif didn't want to consider himself to be close-minded but he was for the most part. He wasn't opposed to change or to changing but it would be difficult.

He was still debating whether or not to kill his Arrancar when the battle was over. That was his intention when he agreed to work alongside him to take down Yagi. Now that thought was getting dimmer and dimmer as time passed. Maybe staying with him wouldn't be so bad. It was an option, at least.

Sharif started to get up. "First things first. We have to take down Yagi. Then we can think about other things."

Veneno nodded. "Sounds good to me." He stood up and helped Sharif to his feet. "You good? You ready?"

Sharif looked himself over. Aside from a few scratches and scrapes on his chest, he appeared to be fine. His healing ability was very useful and Sharif was pleased with it.

"Good to go?" Veneno asked.

Sharif clenched his fist, ready to fight. That's when he noticed the cut on his hand from when he had blocked Veneno's sword from reaching Yagi. It still hadn't healed. Though the bleeding had stopped, the cut remained.

"Yeah," said Sharif. "I'm good."

* * *

Thoughts?

Please review! ^-^


	34. Chapter 34

**Chapter: 34**

Yagi looked over his shoulder, sensing someone at his back. The Soul Reapers were following him. It would be impossible to search for Ichigo like this. He had to handle these people before continuing. Taking on such a number would be risky on his own, but he had little choice.

Yagi spun around in the middle of his run to face them. His heels left two trails in the dirt as he slid to a stop. He grabbed something from inside his coat and threw it at them. Expecting a weapon, they all jumped to one side to avoid it. Rukia drew her sword and slashed at Yagi's left side. He held up his Seele Schneider to block her strike.

On his right, he saw Rojuro running towards him with his sword. Yagi pulled out a second weapon and blocked his right side. With both arms now occupied, this was the perfect chance to attack him from the front or the back. Shinji went for Yagi's front, pointing his sword straight out in front of him. Yagi jumped straight up, letting the sword pass under him. As he descended, he kicked Shinji in the face. He used that kick to launch himself into a back-flip and land away from the two Soul Reapers attacking at his sides. With two weapons in hand, he slashed at both of them. Rukia jumped back to avoid the attack, but Rojuro was a little slower to react. The tip of Yagi's weapon cut the hem of Rojuro's sleeve, narrowly missing his flesh. Rojuro jumped back to make sure he wasn't cut.

"You Soul Reapers are asking for trouble," said Yagi. "Leave me be. There is no point to your struggle. You are only wasting my time and yours."

"We're not letting you reach Ichigo," said Rukia. "There's no way."

"There's no way you can save him. I alone hold the cure and there is no way I am giving it to you."

"Then there's no reason to keep you alive," said Shinji.

"Are you certain of that?" said Yagi with a smirk. "With me, you at least have a chance. Take me away and what have you got?"

"We have enough." Shinji raised his arm. "There's no reason to hold back anymore. Hado 31, Shakkaho!"

Yagi deflected it with his hand.

Shinji growled. Though Yagi was running away, he held such power. It didn't make sense. Why would a man who could easily deflect a Kido with his bare hands run from a fight? Clearly he was powerful enough to take them all down in one fell swoop. Why all this running and hiding?

Unless...

Yagi raised his hand as if he were about to use Kido himself. "Even if you find him, even if you reach him, you cannot save him. Ichigo Kurosaki will die. Mark my words, your friend is dead."

"Not as dead as you're going to be!" Veneno, quicker than the eye could follow, was in Yagi's face. Clenching his fist so tightly his knuckles turned white, he punched Yagi as hard as he could in the face.

"Unh!" Yagi was thrown backwards, tumbling across the dirt. He pulled himself into a kneeling position, clutching his jaw with his right hand. He saw Veneno approaching fast and jumped to his feet, running backwards as Veneno threw punch after punch at his head.

"He's not dead yet! No matter what, I won't let him die!" Veneno's fist grazed the side of Yagi's head. "I won't!"

Yagi bent down and jumped up, punching Veneno in the stomach and avoiding being hit at the same time. "Who do you think you are? You think you can save him? What is he to you, a lowly Arrancar?"

"He's my friend! The best friend I have!"

"No matter how you dress it up, you're still a Hollow. Though Kurosaki is only a substitute, he is a Soul Reaper nonetheless and it is his job to kill Hollows. Don't you see that you could never be friends? You're better off with your own kind. They'll treat you right."

"Is that why I was an experiment to you?" Sharif grabbed Yagi from behind and threw him into the air. "Is that why you left me for dead more than once? Is that way you wanted Ichigo to kill me? I am a Quincy, same as you, and you treated me like crap! I don't care about the roof over my head or the praise you've given me or saying how valuable I was to you. If I was so important to you, why have me killed? You're a liar! You only tell the truth when it gives you something to gain. When it's convenient for you. And even when you do, you only tell parts of the truth."

Yagi was snatched out of the air and thrown down into the dirt and stomped on.

"Stick with your own kind my ass! We are the same! The same race and look what you've done to me! I was too blind to see it before but now I do. If this Arrancar wants to think he's friends with a Soul Reaper, then let him think that way! And if this Arrancar is speaking the truth and the two of them are friends, then who are you to-"

Yagi shot an arrow into Sharif's chest. "Let them think whatever they want. I'm just stating facts. Two races cannot mix. Even you know that, Sharif. You, who only ever associated with his own kind, should know that better than anyone. That was not through my orders or the fault of anyone else. You opted to do that. You limited yourself to being with your race alone."

"That's true. I did."

"And why do you suppose that is? Because it's right, isn't it? It felt natural to you. Therefore, being with your own kind is the best way to be. The mixture of two different things is outlandish. The friendship between two different races... It's a sin! A crime against nature. If Ichigo Kurosaki actually befriended an Arrancar and the two of them actually have a genuine bond together, then... It's just wrong."

"And what am I?" asked Sharif, gesturing to his body. "What of this? What you've done to me? The marriage of two different things into one. Their friendship is by choice. I had no say in what you did to me. You just did it without my consent. A crime against nature. If it is so wrong, then why would you be the one to do it yourself? And to one of your own!"

"You want the truth?" Yagi said in an angry tone. "I never intended to keep you alive. After we took control of the Seireitei and wiped out all of the Soul Reapers, I was going to finish you off. My plan was to only keep you alive so you could help me get what I wanted. After that, you would have been of no use to me and I would then kill you."

He knew it all along. Sharif refused to think such a thing was possible, but hearing it now for himself confirmed everything. Whether or not the experiment was a success, Yagi was going to kill him. Whether he died in that room, on the table, in the middle of nowhere or in the Seireitei after the battle was over, Yagi wanted him dead.

He wasn't meant to live.

"You are already aware of the other reasons," said Yagi. "So now you know everything."

"More like you just confirmed what I suspected..."

"Don't look so down, Sharif. Everything about you is a mystery. I wasn't even aware bonding your body with the parts of a Hollow would work in the first place. It was all an experiment to see if I could. I'm gathering data as we speak. I wasn't even sure you would make it this far. I had no idea how much of a success it would be. If you would even last this long."

"Well, now you know." Sharif's voice was tinged with flame, his eyes gleaming with anger. "And now I'm going to use this power you gave me to take you down."

"So you're siding with these Soul Reapers and abominations?"

"I'm fighting for myself and what I think is right," said Sharif. "I don't care about Ichigo in the slightest. I'm fighting for me. Getting revenge for what you did to me and to the innocent people who suffered at your hand for no good reason at all."

Yagi sighed. It seemed Linnette was not in control of Sharif and that Sharif's thoughts were now unified. Sharif was sane but Yagi found his logic to be quite insane. He had a reason for doing everything he did. Sharif was always on board with it until now, so to him Sharif was the one who had lost his mind. He was the one in the wrong.

"If this is how you want to end this, then so be it."

Yagi sprang forward and drove his Seele Schneider into Sharif's stomach. Veneno grabbed Yagi by the hair and yanked him back, effectively pulling the weapon from the deformed man. Yagi elbowed Veneno in the rib and stomped on his foot. Rukia then moved in and slashed at Yagi's throat. Yagi bent backwards and leapt away.

Linnette watched the fight from where she stood and took in a deep breath.

Ichigo was willing to risk himself for her sake and now his friends were risking their lives to save his. She had to do her part. She was going to fight, too.

She started running. "Shinji! Bow down!"

"Wha..?" Before Shinji could understand her order, his body fell forward into a kowtow. It was automatic.

Linnette put one foot on his back and used him as a springboard to launch herself into the air.

"What is she doing?" asked Rojuro.

Linnette had thrown herself into the fray, latching onto Yagi's back as before and held him there. She didn't know how to fight, but she knew how to make the battle harder for Yagi.

"Get off me!"

Linnette bit him on the shoulder.

"Ow!"

"Lookin' sharp, siren," said Veneno. "Nice one." He took up his sword and cut at Yagi's legs. Since Linnette was wrapped around his torso, it was the only safe place to cut that wouldn't risk damaging her.

Yagi fell to one knee. He raised his head in a panic.

There were too many. He was in great danger. He had to do something. He had to use his Blood Spear. No, he had to wait. This was the perfect time to use it, but he may still need it in the near future. There had to be something else he could do.

Yagi grabbed his Seele Schneider in his left hand and aimed it behind his head at Linnette. Her neck was right there. It was the perfect shot.

Sensing her in danger, Rojuro ran forward and grabbed Yagi's wrist to hold him back.

"The hell with this." Yagi pulled his arm down, causing Rojuro to be thrown in front of his chest. No one could attack from the front without injuring Rojuro. Yagi then grabbed Linnette by her hair and pulled. Once she was thrown off, Yagi stood and retreated to a safe distance.

"It's no good. Even if you jump on him, the guy's going to get away," said Rojuro. "And with you on top of him like that I'm reluctant to react because I'm afraid of hurting you while trying to get to him."

Linnette stood, rubbing her scalp. "Then we attack from a distance. Let your Hollows take it from here. I have an idea."

Rukia rushed to block Yagi's exit. A wall of ice appeared behind Yagi and he turned. It would take him only seconds to go around the wall but he wasn't looking to flee just yet. Not with so many people on his tail. He had to take care of them first. He raised his bow and pointed it at Rukia.

A golden rope wrapped around Yagi's arm and pulled it down. The arrow meant for Rukia sank into the dirt, missing her completely. "What the hell is this now?"

"My melodious mistress has a message for you," said Rojuro. "Shut the hell up and leave her friends alone."

Yagi saw that the rope was actually Rojuro's Zanpakuto in its released state. "Damn."

The ground beneath him was starting to freeze. Rukia was closing in.

"Now, Shinji!" Linnette cried.

Still as himself, Shinji performed Kido to keep Yagi from moving. "Bakudo 61 Rikujokoro!"

Yagi looked around and realized he was trapped. He couldn't shoot an arrow with his arm tied up and he couldn't run with the sheet of ice around his feet and he couldn't evade with this Kido pinning him down. There was nowhere to go.

Yagi's mind was racing to come up with a solution. There had to be a way out of this. Again, his Blood Spear came to mind but he refused to use that until the very end. He didn't want to waste it. No one was coming to save him. His subordinates were gone. One was dead, the other was a traitor and the remaining two were attacking the Seireitei as planned.

What could he do? How was he going to get out of this?

Only one thing came to mind.

He wrapped his hand around Rojuro's weapon and pulled. Yanked forward, Rojuro slammed into Yagi's side and the impact caused the Kido to break. Using the Soul Reaper as a shield, he held Rojuro in front of his body so Rukia's sword would strike him first.

At the last possible moment, Rukia pulled back.

"Coward," Yagi hissed and threw Rojuro at her. "At least have the courage to cut through his body to reach mine."

"Rose!" Shinji stood and started running. His strides were uneven and shaky. His legs were weak. Still he ran to their defense.

"Shinji! I command you to go right!"

Shinji's body was in motion and not a moment too soon. One of Yagi's arrows passed under his arm as he turned right as Linnette commanded. "Thanks!"

"Ordering them around will do you no good, girl." Yagi pointed an arrow at her body. "They will happily die to save you." He fired.

Linnette saw the arrow coming and fell purposely. The arrow missed and she was unharmed. "Don't worry about me. No one else has to risk themselves to save me."

Rukia let a smile pass across her face for a brief moment. Then she grew sad. She had a feeling Linnette blamed herself partly for what had happened to Ichigo. This was why she said what she said. She didn't want anyone to sacrifice themselves for her. To her, being unharmed didn't matter if it meant losing a friend.

No one was going to die for her.

"Ichigo won't die," Linnette said. "We'll save him."

He was not going to die for her. If they could just reach him in time and save him, then Ichigo would not die and Linnette would not be responsible for his sacrifice. That was her logic. If he died, it would have been her fault because she drove him to this. If only she hadn't gotten hurt, he would have had no reason to go to the enemy.

"Shinji! Go left!"

"On it."

Yagi saw him coming and fired. Shinji moved aside of his own will. Linnette only helped his body move when he needed it. He was still in control. Shinji drew his sword and struck at Yagi's rib. A clang rang out as their weapons collided.

"Damn you!" Yagi hissed.

"Rose! Help Shinji!"

"You got it!"

Yagi shoved Shinji aside and moved to his left. Rojuro swung wildly with his Zanpakuto. The long whip extended his reach so he didn't have to get too close. His weapon wrapped around Yagi's torso, pinning his arms at his sides. Rather than struggle, Yagi spun his body, winding the whip further around him. This caused Rojuro to be forced closer, his reach shortening by the second. Finally within striking distance, Yagi stopped spinning and slammed his head into Rojuro's. When his grip went slack, he pulled the weapon from his body and cast it aside.

"Where do you think you're going?" Veneno slashed at Yagi's back.

"Don't get in my way!"

"Screw you!"

"Such a mouth, but I should expect no less from a piece of filth like you."

Shinji stood to back up Veneno, but his legs wouldn't stop shaking. His body was reaching its limit. He should have known this would happen sooner or later. After the damage he had taken up to this point, it was amazing he lasted this long. He was worried about their bodies giving out in the middle of a fight and from the look of things, that was exactly what was happening. He wasn't sure he should take the risk to help Veneno who was injured himself.

"Raugh!" Veneno slammed his sword so hard against Yagi's weapon that the Seele Schneider snapped in half.

Yagi dropped his useless weapon and watched its pieces fall to the ground like stardust. He pulled out another one to block Veneno's second strike. Veneno hit it again and again until this weapon, too, began to crack.

"Maybe he doesn't need my help after all," Shinji whispered to himself.

Yagi backed away from him, trying to gain some distance but Veneno would not let him leave. Every step he took was followed by the Arrancar. He would not give him an inch.

"I don't understand. Why fight so hard for a natural enemy?" said Yagi. "It doesn't make any sense. You think these people are your friends? You are not alike."

"I've seen the way you treat your own kind and it makes me sick. You think you can sway me based on that? You're an idiot. No matter what you are, no matter how different, you can still find friendship in others and form a bond. Ichigo taught me that."

"But isn't he also a Hollow to some extent? Are you certain you are not friends with him simply because you have something in common?"

"Then what about the others? These Soul Reapers are also my friends."

"Do you know why people have friends?" asked Yagi. "It's because they have something to gain. Friends are meant to be used. Same as anyone else. Friend is just a word you use for people you can leech off of."

"That is not true!"

"Of course it is. These Soul Reapers are your friends because they can provide you with things you need, like food and shelter. If it weren't for that, you would never go near them. Face facts, you're using them. Even if it is only to escape your loneliness," said Yagi. "But I understand completely. I use my friends as well. Once they've done their part, I don't need them anymore and discard them. You shall do the same thing. So will these people. The only reason they care is because you're strong. The second you're of no further use, they'll discard you."

"That is not true! I used to think that way but-"

"But what? It's true and you know it. The only reason they're fighting so hard for Ichigo is because they need him. He's strong and they can use that. You need him so you can pretend you're not alone and have a connection to someone. It's pitiful, really."

Veneno grabbed Yagi by the throat and squeezed. "We're fighting for Ichigo because he's our friend. Not for any personal gain or anything. He's our friend!"

Yagi grabbed Veneno's wrist and twisted. "You're talking nonsense."

With a mighty twist, he pulled Veneno's arm around, forcing his body to spin. Veneno's back was now turned towards Yagi. In no time, Yagi had curled his body around Veneno's and held him there. Veneno gasped for air as Yagi put pressure on him from behind.

"Friends are meant to be used. Once they are of no further use, you get rid of them. You do not risk yourself for them. That's foolish. You can always make new friends. Why protect one at the cost of your own life?" asked Yagi. "And besides, what if you do end up saving one life at the cost of your own? Then what's the point? You're dead. You can no longer be with them and you can no longer use them. Don't you see the flaws in such thinking? It makes no logical sense. Why trade your life for someone else? It goes against basic instincts. The drive to live."

Veneno couldn't move his body. Yagi was pinning his arms down. He couldn't lift his sword and he couldn't get away. He was trapped, wrapped up in Yagi's embrace.

Yagi rested his chin on Veneno's shoulder as he held him tighter, pressing Veneno's back into his chest.

"I'll happily sacrifice any one of my friends if it means living. Though I may have lost a couple, I can always get more. I just have to say the right things and lure them over to my side. I tried convincing you, but you're so close-minded. Just what I'd expect from a dumb Hollow. You lack any intelligence. You're just beasts. Why Ichigo hasn't killed you yet... No. Why none of them have killed you yet is a mystery. I'm actually surprised you haven't killed Ichigo yet for food."

"I'm not... like... that..." Veneno choked out.

"You and those Soul Reapers need to know their place. A Quincy will always prevail. We are the light that takes away the darkness. Soul Reapers try to purify Hollows so they can get a second chance or whatever nonsense it is they're spinning, when they should actually be destroying you. Filth like you should not be allowed to live. You are a disgrace. An abomination. If what you say is true that they actually give a damn about you, then they should all be punished for such an atrocity. Having any connection to you or your kind is a crime. Unforgivable. And Ichigo will be the first one punished for that."

Veneno was so angry he was shaking. He was desperate to get away. Desperate to kill him. Desperate to save Ichigo.

For a brief moment, Veneno saw a glimpse of the past. He saw Ichigo's smiling face.

He would see that again.

He would save him. He was willing to do anything for him. Anything.

Veneno looked down at the sword in his hand and braced himself. He brought the sword out in front of him. His left arm was free but the way Yagi was holding him kept Veneno from raising it. In sheer desperation, Veneno raised his arms forward as far as he could and, holding his sword underhand, stabbed himself in the stomach.

Linnette shrieked as she watched from the sidelines, cupping her hands around her open mouth.

Blood gurgled out of the hole in his abdomen. He put his hand on the hilt and pushed it through his back and into Yagi.

"Ahh!" Yagi cried out in pain and quickly released Veneno. He pressed a hand to the gaping wound in his gut. He stood quickly and staggered away.

"Unh..! Gah!" Veneno pulled the sword from his abdomen. The blade slipped out, the agony causing Veneno to reel back. His short breaths gurgled with blood and he started to wheeze. He covered the wound with both hands and fell forward on to the ground.

"Veneno!" Rukia gasped and ran to his side, ignoring Yagi. "Veneno, are you alright? Are you crazy? Why did you do that?"

Veneno turned his head to the side to answer. "It was the only way I could land a critical blow. I wanted to shut him up so much."

"You could have killed yourself."

Veneno chuckled, blood dripping slowly from his lips. "As long as it meant stopping this guy, I didn't care. Don't worry, I was careful." He looked away, his eyes tearing with pain. "I want to see him again, too."

He wasn't thinking, but he knew enough not to cause too much damage to himself. He wanted to see Ichigo, so he had to live.

"Idiot!" Yagi snapped, still holding his side. "That's the kind of stupidity I'm talking about. Why are you so willing to throw your life away for someone else? It isn't logical. Even if he lives, what does it matter if you die? You won't be able to see him again, so why bother?"

"Clearly... you've never cared about anyone but yourself," said Veneno. "When you care about someone, you want them to live. Even if it means..." Veneno held his stomach tightly, a surge of pain causing him to end his sentence short.

Sharif watched quietly as Linnette and the two other Soul Reapers came running over to check on Veneno. It was an odd sight to behold, watching a bunch of Soul Reapers and a human rushing to the side of an injured Arrancar. They were showing concern. They wanted to make sure he was ok.

Then Yagi took his hand from his wound and fired an arrow at the group. Rukia grabbed Veneno and jumped away as the two Captains scooped up Linnette and retreated to a safe distance.

Even then they showed care for the Arrancar. Veneno was injured and in no condition to fight. He couldn't take further part in this battle, which made him useless to them. Instead of leaving him, they risked themselves to bring him to safety. They were protecting him. Yagi would never do such a thing for him or for any of the ones who followed him. He would have left them there. The second they were no longer able to fight, he abandoned them.

"I suppose being with people like that wouldn't be so bad," said a feminine voice.

Sharif closed his eyes. "Yeah. I guess not."

"They seem to show genuine care for one another. How strange it must be for you to witness."

"Yeah. But I'm glad I did." Sharif bit his lip. "If this is the company they keep... I wouldn't mind being a part of it."

"Fufufufu..! Certainly better than that big jerk of a Quincy Yagi, am I right? Maybe we are better off with them. Thinking of taking that Arrancar up on his offer?"

Sharif opened his eyes and looked at the cut on his hand which still hadn't healed. "Yeah," he said softly. "It might have been nice."

* * *

It was getting harder to breathe. Ichigo took long deep breaths in an attempt to fill his lungs. Laying flat on his back must have been making breathing more difficult but he didn't have the strength to turn himself.

As he lay staring at the ceiling of trees, he thought of his friends, wondering how they were doing. He wondered if they were injured. He wondered if they needed him. He wondered if they were thinking of him, too.

He wanted to get better. He wanted to will himself into health but such a thing was not possible.

"They need me... I can't let them do this alone... I have to help..."

Ichigo's fingers tightened around the handle of his sword then went slack.

He was totally helpless and that fact caused him even greater pain.

* * *

Veneno lay hunched on his side, pressing his hands to his wound. Because he was in a weakened state, it was taking him longer to heal. As long as he didn't move, the wound would close completely in the next minute or so.

Yagi looked at the Arrancar behind Rukia's back. "One down." He knew Veneno wasn't dead but he would not be able to take further part in this fight.

Rukia had to take up her sword and fight. As the only one without critical injury, she was the most suited fighter amongst the group. She had more strength than they did at the moment. She also had to be careful not to get injured otherwise the whole group would be at a disadvantage. They needed her.

"Tusgi no mai, Hakuren!"

Yagi moved aside. Though injured, he still possessed a lot of strength and could dodge her attacks. It was doubtful that the wound in his stomach had healed by now. He must have been ignoring the pain in order to fight.

Linnette looked at the two Captains. "You ready?"

They nodded.

"Ok. Together now." She pointed. "Rose."

"Not a problem." He lifted his Zanpakuto and used it as a whip, striking the side of Yagi's head.

"Uh!" Yagi staggered to one side and looked in Rojuro's direction. He snarled a warning, but Rojuro wasn't intimidated. He threw his Zanpakuto forward in another attack which Yagi grabbed with his bare hand. "You keep doing the same thing. Repeating an attack is not only boring but foolish. You are too easy to read."

"Sure, let's go with that." Rojuro flicked his Zanpakuto, stepping forward to allow it more reach. The long coil wrapped around Yagi's back and tightened, pressing his hand to his chest. "All I have to do is yank and you'll be strangled."

Yagi smirked. "I will never be taken down by a Soul Reaper. Least of all by an abomination like you."

Yagi slid his body down so the Zanpakuto slid to his neck, but he moved his arm at the same time so he would not be strangled as Rojuro had hoped. His arm protected his neck from being crushed. Yagi slipped his head out from the coils and freed himself, but the weapon was still wrapped around his arm. He gave it a yank, pulling Rojuro in like before.

Still holding onto his weapon, Rojuro was pulled forward. Yagi pulled out another Seele Schneider to cut him.

"Rose, release!" Linnette ordered and Rojuro let go of his weapon. Normally, he would never let go of his weapon if he could help it, but his body followed Linnette's command which may have saved his life.

"Fool," spat Yagi. "Now you have no weapon. It's mine."

Rojuro stood between Yagi and Linnette with empty hands. He was like a deer in headlights. For a moment, he was unsure of what to do.

"Second Rose!" Linnette ordered.

His eyes changed and suddenly he knew exactly what to do: Go wild.

He charged at Yagi with all his speed and threw a punch at him. The punch missed but Rojuro never meant to hit him with that swing. His intention was for Yagi to move so someone else could strike.

"Tusgi no mai, Hakuren!"

"Ah?" Yagi turned and saw the ice coming right for him. He grabbed Rojuro by the hair and pulled him into the line of fire. Rojuro was frozen instead.

"Rose!" Rukia cried. It all happened so fast, there was nothing she could have done to call off the attack.

"You see?" said Yagi. "You people have no idea what you're doing. You best leave it to-"

The ice shattered and Rojuro came leaping out, latching onto Yagi from behind. "Miss me? You really think a little ice is going to be enough to stop me? Well, guess again."

The two struggled, each trying to pull the other one down.

Now was his chance. Yagi's back was wide open. Shinji picked up his sword and ran forward. With this one strike, he would end it.

He was so close. Yagi had not turned around yet. He wasn't aware that he was behind him. Shinji was almost there, then suddenly, his legs gave out. "Unh!" He slammed into the ground on his chest. "Damn it, not now."

Shinji looked back at his legs. On the surface they appeared fine but he knew better. The damage was on the inside. He tried to stand but his legs shook and wouldn't support his weight. He was at his limit. Though he was still willing to fight, his legs had other plans. If they were too weak to support him, he couldn't fight.

Yelling with effort, Yagi grabbed Rojuro's head and flipped him over his back. Rojuro landed on his back but wouldn't stay down. He somersaulted, kicking Yagi in the stomach, right where his wound was. When Yagi cringed, Rojuro flipped over and stood. Without hesitation, he started punching Yagi. Over and over again, he delivered blow after blow, many of which landed.

"Letting the Hollow take control so you will be unpredictable," growled Yagi. "That may be the brightest thing you've done yet today. But it's not enough."

Yagi reached forward and slammed something into Rojuro's gut. It was his Seele Schneider. Rojuro grunted, his flurry of punches coming to a sudden stop. Yagi twisted it and Rojuro grabbed Yagi's shoulder to keep himself steady.

Linnette looked around in a panic, trying to find something that would help. Veneno was still laying on his side, his sword laying nearby.

Rojuro looked into Yagi's eyes, seething with rage.

"It's not a sword, but it can function as one, as you can see. Don't worry. I wouldn't use it to cut off your head, but I will use it to stab you until you fall. Seele Schneider is basically an arrow, just in a different form."

Rojuro snarled. "You think we're weak, don't you?"

"I've been saying it."

"Then why are we still here?" he asked. "If we're so weak, why is it that Ichigo has not yet died or become a Hollow permanently? Why is it your Quincy friend has been defeated but we remain? We are not as weak as you think."

Yagi narrowed his eyes. How dare this Vizard Captain have the gall to speak to him this way.

"Hyah!"

"Ahh!"

Rojuro looked to his right in surprise. Linnette had picked up Veneno's sword and used it to stab Yagi's hand. The very hand pressing the Seele Schneider into his gut.

She didn't have the strength to cut off Yagi's arm and she had no sword skills to use it properly, but her attack was still effective. She stabbed rather than sliced, the blade going in tip-first into Yagi's arm. The blade stopped at the bone, preventing it from passing all the way through and out the other side.

Yagi pulled his arm closer to his body, pulling it free from the sword. Fearing he would attack, Linnette raised the sword clumsily, preparing to cut him again if he tried.

Rojuro pulled the Seele Schneider from his stomach, stabbed it into Yagi's shoulder and picked up Linnette. He fled to a safe distance and set her down. "Thanks for the back-up, but don't put yourself in danger like that."

The light from the Seele Schneider faded and the weapon fell from Yagi's shoulder. It had started to lose its glow the moment Rojuro picked it up so the wound in Yagi was no deeper than a fraction of an inch. "A Vizard would have no idea how to use one of these," Yagi remarked.

Linnette looked to Veneno, hearing him moan. He took his hands away and examined the wound. It had already closed. He took a few deep breaths before moving to sit up. "Give me that back," he said, extending his hand.

"Here." Linnette returned the sword to its owner. "I had to try."

"You did good, but..." Veneno stood up shakily. "I'd like to use it now."

"If we get too close, he'll use one of us as a shield," said Rukia. "I'm worried if I use my attack again, it could end up hitting one of you. And Rose- I mean, Captain... You're in pretty rough shape. Linnette calling upon your Hollow gave you some stamina for a short period of time, but it doesn't change the fact that you're hurt."

"I know," Rojuro said, his eyes his own once more. "The other me will throw caution to the wind and attack anyway he sees fit. He can be reckless so it won't matter if I'm hurt or not. He'll push through. But that can cause even more damage. Like running on a fractured leg. Eventually, it will become a break and get worse from there if you keep running on it. But that's just how he is."

Rukia looked behind Yagi at the Soul Reaper laying on the ground. "Shinji's still out there, too. I don't think he can move anymore. He took several direct attacks so his body must be in rough shape. Just like you said, if you keep putting pressure on something sooner or later it will break. I think Shinji pushed himself too hard. Now he can't move from that spot."

"We should go get him. He can't dodge if he can't move."

"I think I have a plan," said Rukia. "Everyone needs to do their part. Are you ready?"

"May I help?" asked Sharif coming closer. "I wanted to take Yagi down myself, but I know I won't be able to do so on my own the way I wanted. But I'm willing to help you if it means taking him down."

"Alright." Rukia nodded. "Good to have you. Now, here's what I'm thinking..."

By this time, Yagi became aware of Shinji and turned his body to look at him. He wasn't going to approach, knowing the Captain still had some fight in him. He would simply attack from where he was and kill him from a distance. A single arrow should do the trick.

Yagi raised his arm. It shook slightly from the pain. The wound inflicted by Linnette wasn't enough to stop him but it did cause him pain. For a mere human, she turned out to be more trouble than he had anticipated. "And I thought those men following her around would be the real trouble."

Shinji lifted his head and saw the arrow pointed between his eyes. Knowing he couldn't run, Shinji remained still, hoping to roll to the side at the last moment.

Yagi blinked and turned to look at something on his left. The Soul Reapers were on the attack again. "This is so troublesome."

"Tusgi no mai, Hakuren!"

Yagi easily dodged. The attack came at him again and he retreated backwards. Something wrapped around his legs and tripped him. He fell onto his tailbone and looked up, seeing Rojuro clasping his Zanpakuto with both hands.

"Look what I found," he sang in a taunting fashion.

Yagi looked up and saw Veneno coming at him from the side. Yagi quickly freed his legs and jumped to avoid him.

Seeing his chance, Shinji attacked. "Hado 31, Shakkaho!"

Yagi couldn't easily dodge in the air, so he bent his body as far as he could to avoid being hit, but the attack scorched the hem of his coat and burned part of his leg.

"Don't give him an inch," Rukia told them. The plan was to surround him, but each person attacked at a time and each attack was meant to lure him further away from anyone he might try to use as a shield. They were also luring him into a new attack whenever he fled from one. Basically, he was in a minefield and every time he moved to avoid one explosion, he would be moving towards another.

"Hado 31, Shakkaho!"

Yagi ran from Shinji's attacks. Though Shinji could not move from that spot, he would not go down. He was still able to fight. From this spot, he would fire Kido at the enemy and keep him on the run.

"Whoops!" Rojuro's Hollow was in control again and hoisted his Zanpakuto into the air. Pulled tight, the long cord tripped Yagi for a second time. He stumbled but didn't fall.

"Hyaa!" Veneno slammed his sword against Yagi's Seele Schneider. They broke apart and Rukia took his place.

"Tusgi no mai, Hakuren!"

Yagi dodged but was caught by the large hand of a monster. Sharif shoved him forward towards Veneno who slashed at his front.

It should have been easy. Veneno was in a weakened state. Even if his wound had closed, he should still feel the pain. He was weak from the fight against Mordere not too long ago. The Arrancar needed time to rest and recover his strength. How could he still be this fast? How could he still fight?

"Hade 31, Shakkaho!"

The attack just grazed Yagi's head.

That Captain couldn't stand, yet he was still fighting.

"Hyah!" Rukia's sword clashed with Yagi's weapon.

Why weren't they giving up? Was Ichigo really worth that much to them?

What good would killing him do? Ichigo would be just as dead. It wasn't as if killing him would somehow spare Ichigo's life. Killing him wouldn't cure Ichigo, so why were they doing this? Was this revenge? Was that it?

"Ready, my songbird?"

"Ready!"

Linnette took one end of Rojuro's weapon while he held the other. They pulled it tight and ran forward behind Yagi. The long cord caught the back of his knees and was thrown off his feet. Yagi landed on his back and Veneno went in to decapitate him. Yagi pushed himself down and out of the way. Veneno's sword snipped off a few hairs but missed Yagi's head and neck. Veneno chased him with the sword, cutting a hole in the back of Yagi's jacket but missed his flesh.

Seething with rage, Yagi fired an arrow at Veneno then fired one at Linnette. Rojuro flicked his Zanpakuto up, blocking the arrow's path with the long cord.

Growling, Yagi fired again, this time at Rukia. She deflected it with her sword and sliced the air above Yagi's head. He had moved again. Sharif blocked Yagi's path and slammed his fist into Yagi's back. Yagi skidded across the ground, leaving large divots in the dirt where he landed. He straightened up, blocking Veneno's sword.

This group was not going to stop. No matter what, they would not pause long enough for him to breathe. At this rate, with so many of them, Yagi would be overwhelmed. Even though most of them were injured, their numbers alone combined with their unceasing attacks made Yagi worried he would not survive. If this kept up...

"Tusgi no mai, Hakuren!"

Yagi barely managed to get away this time. This made the group confident that they could stop him here and now. They may just win this.

"Hado 31, Shakkaho!" Shinji's attack chased Yagi closer to Rukia who was waiting for him.

She slashed at his back and Yagi moved closer to Veneno who cut off part of his sleeve. This time, there was blood. The gash wasn't deep but it was enough to raise their spirits and diminish Yagi's. They were getting closer to a fatal blow.

This made him very desperate. He tried to flash away but Veneno caught him by the back of his jacket and held him back. Held in place, Rukia slashed at Yagi's front. He jumped backwards into Veneno who used his sword to cut into Yagi's side. He just missed his gut.

"Damn you!" Yagi tried to wrestle Veneno to the ground but he could not be budged. Veneno tried to use his sword again, but Yagi kicked it out of his hand. He tried to use his Seele Schneider, but Veneno attacked before he could. He punched Yagi in the gut, his knuckles pressing into the wound from before. This caused Yagi to cry out in pain and drop his weapon. He punched Veneno in the face and fled backwards into Sharif.

"You won't leave here," he told him and smacked him to the ground. Yagi tumbled across the dirt and tried to run. Shinji blocked his path with more Kido. The slight hesitation allowed Rukia enough time to catch up to him.

Yagi turned and saw Rukia's blade heading for his chest. He aimed an arrow at Linnette, hoping this would be enough to make Rukia hesitate. Rukia kept coming, knowing Rojuro would protect her. Yagi's threats meant nothing anymore. She was going to kill him.

Yagi's eyes widened, seeing that she wasn't going to stop.

With all her strength, Rukia thrust her sword forward. Yagi scowled and held up his hand to block. Very quickly, he knocked her sword aside with his left wrist. Rukia's body was still in motion from the charge. Sword knocked aside, Rukia's front was perfectly exposed. Yagi clenched his right fist and threw it into her stomach.

"Uh!" All the air was forced out of Rukia's lungs. The force of his punch sent her airborne. She was thrown backwards and landed on the ground. She sat up, realizing her sword was missing.

It was in Yagi's possession. Gripping her sword with his left hand, he turned towards her. "I refuse to die here. No matter what you throw at me, I will always be better. I wanted Ichigo to be the one to kill you, but if I have to dirty my hands to stay alive, I will. It is you who will not leave here."

Yagi raised her sword and threw it. It flew in a straight line towards her chest. Rukia couldn't get away in time.

Veneno rushed forward. He grabbed her shoulders and turned his body, blocking her sword with his back. Veneno yelped, feeling the pain. The tip of Rukia's sword exited just under Veneno's ribcage. He fell to his knees, panting heavily.

Rukia couldn't believe it. The Arrancar who hated Soul Reapers so much had willingly protected her at the risk of himself. He truly had come a long way.

"Please take this thing out of my back," he groaned. "It hurts."

Yagi wasn't upset at all by Veneno's sacrifice. He looked pleased. "Do you see?" he said. "How can you not see it? The sheer stupidity of it? By choosing to risk yourself, you may have saved an ally, but now you're down another fighter. It is foolish!"

"If I hadn't... then we would be down another fighter anyway," said Veneno. "I'm done talking to you. There's nothing I can say that will convince you and you're too dumb to waste my time on."

"I'm the dumb one? I'm not the one throwing himself in front of an attack to get injured. You're too dumb to realize that you are the true idiot. I am the only one with any intelligence around here."

"If you're so smart..." said Veneno. "... then why are you running your mouth when you should be paying attention to the guy behind you?"

Yagi gasped and spun around, but there was no one behind him.

"I can't believe you were dumb enough to fall for that."

He was tricked.

Yagi turned back and saw Rojuro getting ready to punch him. He took the hit on the chin and was sent backwards into Sharif who held him in place. Rojuro rushed in and delivered a folly of punches, his Hollow unleashing all his fury. Yagi had become his punching bag.

Rukia grabbed her sword with both hands and pulled. Veneno dug his nails into his legs to keep from screaming. She was careful not to cut any of his organs as she removed her weapon but the action still caused him pain.

Between the wound in his gut and now his back, Rukia was wondering how long Veneno could keep doing this before he couldn't anymore. Eventually, even an Arrancar would lose its ability to heal if their body took too much damage.

"Ah!" Rojuro was forced backwards by Yagi's kick.

"Enough!" Yagi snapped. "Enough! Enough!"

Yagi threw Sharif off with the strength of his arms. He was angry. Furious. Even Sharif was afraid of what would happen next.

"This fight is pointless. Your efforts are pointless. There is no reason to go after me. Killing me won't save Ichigo. There is no point. Don't bother. All you're doing is weakening yourselves and getting on my last nerve. I've had enough!"

Yagi opened his jacket, revealing his hidden weapons. He had a whole arsenal at his disposal. He took something from an inside pocket and threw it at Shinji. Five Seele Schneider appeared around him in an instant.

"How the hell did he..?" Without being able to run, Shinji was a sitting duck.

Yagi threw another at Veneno and another at Linnette. The same thing occurred.

"At least one of you will die," said Yagi. "Those who can still move won't be able to save those who cannot. Not if you want me dead."

Shinji tried to crawl away, thinking he could make it out of the trap before Yagi ignited it. Then a thought occurred to him.

"It's a bluff!" he yelled to the others. "He wants you to rescue us so he can get away! Don't fall for it!"

Yagi grit his teeth in irritation.

"Kill that bastard, Rukia," said Veneno. "Don't let him get away."

She agreed and moved in for the attack.

Linnette stepped out of the trap just to be safe and ordered Rojuro to attack. He obeyed and charged in.

Yagi looked at the people coming at him from different sides. He was frightened.

"I knew it," Shinji said to himself. "This explains why he would attack and then run, despite having great power. He's a coward. Just as I assumed. He doesn't want to risk his own life so he'll run away as soon as he's either outnumbered or thinks he'll be in possible danger. He's calmer when he has people to hide behind."

It was true. Yagi was a coward. If he couldn't use anyone as a shield, he fled. He cared only for himself and his well-being. He would never put himself at risk. He wanted to live too much to take chances. He wasn't arrogant enough to think he could not be killed. He knew there was always the possibility, which was why he was quick to run as soon as things started to look bad. Even if he was sure he would win, he didn't want to risk his life.

Rojuro went high, fists clenched. As Yagi turned to block, Linnette gave an order. "Go low!" Rojuro's arm slammed into Yagi's gut, nailing him right in the open wound. The pain caused Yagi to hunch forward and Rojuro gave an upper-cut to his jaw. Yagi's head snapped back and he saw the glint of a sword at his side.

"Hyaa!" Rukia's blade found its mark, sliding under his left shoulder-blade and into his chest. Yagi's weight forced the sword in deeper as he fell backwards.

He could feel the blade pressing against his lung as it expanded with each breath he took. It wasn't punctured but it was a sensation he had never felt before.

"Go to hell, jerk!" Rojuro jumped up to land on Yagi's chest which would only force the sword in deeper.

He was scared. He feared for his life.

These Soul Reapers would not get the best of him. He would win. He had to.

Yagi brought his legs up and kicked Rojuro as he descended and forced him back into the air. He turned his body and pulled the sword from his back with his movement. He spun around and grabbed Rukia by the throat. He hoisted her up and threw her as far from him as he could.

Yagi examined his wound with his hand. It stung but he should be able to walk away from this.

Then something else appeared. Yagi turned and saw Sharif rushing towards him with his monstrous arm extended. Yagi tried to take a step back but his legs couldn't move. The ground under him had been frozen solid. His feet were frozen to the earth. He could not dodge.

The group watched, hopeful, as Sharif moved in to deliver the final blow. With this, their battle would be won. With this final attack, Yagi would at last be defeated.

Screaming, Sharif lunged forward, his arm outstretched.

This was the end.

Yagi's wide eyes reflected Sharif's grotesque arm as it closed in on him.

Inches from its target, Sharif's arm broke off at the elbow and fell.

"What?" Rukia gasped.

Sharif looked down at his severed arm. This was not the result of an attack. This was something else.

Then, small cracks began to appear on Sharif's body, growing in size. The marks grew longer and wider, a crystalline web spreading across his body. Without mercy the strange transformation continued. A fragment of Sharif's knee fell. It was as if his body were made of glass.

"What's happening?" Linnette whispered in confusion.

Sharif looked at his missing arm with a frightened look on his face. Not fear of the unknowing, but fear of understanding. He knew what this was.

Yagi started to smile. He chuckled cruelly at his former ally. "I was wondering how long you had left."

Veneno's eyes widened.

"Guh..!" Sharif's leg started to crack. His left leg shattered under him and he fell to one knee. He looked at his shattering body in frusteration.

"I told you," said Yagi, "that even I was not certain it would work. That everything about this experiment was a mystery. I didn't know if it would kill you on the table or kill you slowly. Now we know."

Sharif was never meant to live.

Yagi broke free of the ice and stood above the severed arm slowly turning to goop. It was like watching clay melt. He turned back to Sharif with a smile. "Farewell, Sharif." Their eyes met. "Good-bye."

With that, Yagi flashed away and disappeared.

"Where'd he go now?"

"He escaped again, that rotten son of a..."

Veneno stood up and ran to Sharif's side. "Sharif!"

Sharif's other arm started to crack and split from his body.

Veneno was the first one to reach him. "What did he do to you? What's happening?"

Sharif shook his head. "My body... is rejecting itself."

"What?"

He chuckled miserably. "Even Yagi didn't know if it would work. Even if it did, how long would I last? A body built with Hollow parts. Really... Such a thing really possible without complication?"

Sharif's body was falling apart and there was nothing they could do.

Veneno tried to keep Sharif's arm from falling by pressing it together with his hands. When Sharif's fingers started to chip and break off, he tried to reattach them, failing miserably.

"Don't bother," said Sharif. "I knew this would happen. It was only a matter of time." He looked down at his severed arm and saw the unhealed cut. "I knew I didn't have long. My body wasn't healing as it was before."

That was when he knew he was reaching his end. All his other wounds had healed except for one. When he blocked the attack from reaching Yagi, his wound never healed. That was the moment he knew his body wouldn't last much longer.

SNAP!

Sharif's body was split in half. His legs crumbled and fell apart. His upper body fell forward. Veneno and Rukia both softened the fall with their hands. They lowered him to the ground on his back and watched his deterioration. There was nothing anyone could do.

It came in stages. Being unable to heal was the first warning sign. Then his body would become brittle and start to break. Sharif wasn't sure what would happen between now and his death, but he knew it was coming quickly. He didn't have long.

Sharif looked at Veneno's worried face and then at Rukia's. They were both showing concern for him. They were at his side at his death. He saw Linnette and Shinji and Rojuro, too. They were all here to see him off.

They all looked sad. Until recently, they were enemies and now they were showing concern for him. This was a bizarre thing indeed.

"I knew I was going to die," Shairf said. "I guess I came to terms with that. I don't know. Maybe I'm just numb to the whole thing. Maybe it's happening faster than I can cope." He turned his head towards Veneno. "You offering to let me live with you was kind, but..."

His shoulder started to split.

"In truth, I wasn't sure I could trust you, or be friends with you. You're an Arrancar. But I was actually starting to like the idea. Guess I'll never know what it would have been like. See, I've never had friends who weren't Quincies before. You would have been the first. But I can see now that a friendship with you guys would have been nice. I would have enjoyed it."

He thought back to the group looking out for one another and smiled. He remembered the Soul Reapers coming to the aid of the Arrancar and the the Arrancar risking his life to protect them. How the Arrancar- How Veneno, had tried to protect him. How they worked together and looked after one another.

"I would have liked to have been a part of that. It seemed nice."

Sharif's eyes started to fill with tears. Only now did he finally realize what he had missed out on. He thought he was happy with his life the way he had chosen to live it. Now he could see that he wasn't as happy as he thought. As good as it was, it could have been better.

He made many choices too late.

"And I'd like to confirm something," he said to the group. "There is no cure. So there is no reason to keep Yagi alive, even on the off chance of him handing it over, because there is none. He never made one and never would. That's the thing about Yagi. The thing I had always refused to see. He would never make a cure because he wanted Ichigo to suffer and die. He would never make one, even on the off chance that one of us ended up getting it. He doesn't give a damn about any of us so why would he even bother? And he would never put himself at risk, so there's not even the possibility of him getting it. He's always careful to keep out of danger."

This answered the one question that was bothering everyone. Even those who didn't believe Yagi had a cure would still wonder if it was possible that he did. Now their uncertainly could be put to rest. There was no cure.

However, this also meant that it was up to them to cure Ichigo themselves. If Yagi didn't have a cure, they would have to make one.

Parts of Sharif's body were melting and other parts were cracking and chipping away. As he tried to move his remaining arm, it chipped and fell away from the rest of his body.

Sharif turned his head slowly to look at them. "He left me behind. He used me. He did this to me." A crack started to form on his cheek and spread as he spoke. "He doesn't even have the guts to..." He sniffled. "At least... At least... I have someone with me at the end."

Veneno touched Sharif's chest, silently letting him know he was there.

"I have to confess something. Veneno, I was actually planning on killing you when you found me. I'm sorry for that. I don't have any desire to do that now. And I want to share my final thoughts with you and this group."

"Yeah..?"

Blood started to ooze from Sharif's ears, mouth and nose. He had mere seconds left.

"I'm happy for you," he said softly. "These people you call your friends. I'm glad you have them. I'm glad you have people who care about you and who you care for in turn. And Ichigo... He's lucky you all are willing to go through so much for him. He must be really important to you. How devoted you all are to each other... I'm glad I got to see it before the end."

He was a little jealous. Mostly he was sad he never got to experience that for himself. He never had someone care so much for him before.

"Though I never really had that myself... I'm glad I have people around me now. Maybe if I was given a little more time, I could have experienced it more fully. But this is enough for me. At least I know what it's like to..."

Sharif's jaw snapped off and fell, pulverizing into dust and goop. Sharif took his final breath and his neck snapped in two. His head fell back and shattered. His flesh melted away revealing his bones. What remained of Sharif was a pile of Quincy and Hollow.

He was afraid to die. He thought he had come to terms with it but he was having doubts as everything faded to black. "I'm scared."

"It's ok," said a feminine voice. "You won't be alone. I shall accompany you."

"You will?"

"Yes. We will go together."

Sharif felt a warmth touch his hand and it put him at ease.

"We're always together."

For once, Sharif was glad he wasn't alone.

* * *

T^T

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	35. Chapter 35

**Chapter: 35**

Kira had an opening and took it. He dashed forward with his sword at his side. Yaku's eyes went straight to the blade turned at an angle. He held up his mirror and got ready to block. As soon as that mirror got close, he would reflect it.

Kira wasn't swinging the sword. He was getting closer and closer but wasn't swinging his sword.

Yaku stepped back, knowing he must have been close enough to use an attack.

Now!

Kira jumped and kicked Yaku in the face.

"Ungh!" Yaku started to fall backwards.

"Now for the mirror." Kira spun in the air and tried to hook the mirror with his curved blade.

"Mirror Image."

A sword identical to Kira's shot out of the mirror to block his attack.

"What the hell?" Kira landed on the ground and stared at his own reflection. "Just when I thought I had seen all your tricks. I should have known this mirror could do something other than make people depressed. Especially considering its reflective capability that's been causing me no end of problems."

"Yes, my mirror is quite useful in a number of situations." Yaku was bracing himself up on his knees, holding up his mirror with both hands. "Being underestimated is so depressing."

Kira's image pushed against his sword with such force, Kira almost lost his footing. He pulled back and the sword swung at his neck. It wasn't mimicking his movements like a true reflection. It was fighting with a mind of its own. Either that or Yaku was telling it what to do somehow and was controlling its actions.

"Just when I thought I understood your mirror and had it figured out. Now this."

Kira's reflection looked exactly like him, only a mirror image. His clone's bangs were parted on the other side of his face, partly covering its right eye rather than its left. It also swung with its left hand rather than its right.

"Right and left..." If that was the case, then perhaps Kira could weaken it by using his sword in the opposite hand. If the mirror image was using its non-dominate hand to fight, then its fighting might be weakened. If the clone did everything he did in reverse, then it would use its right hand if Kira put his sword in his left. However, if Kira did this, then his skills would also be impaired. He wasn't left handed so using a sword in his left hand might impair his swordplay.

Taking a chance, he switched hands. His clone did not do the same. He came at the clone. It raised its sword with its left hand and blocked. Kira nearly lost his grip and quickly pulled back.

"So it seems the image won't copy what I do and will not switch hands if I use my sword differently. That's worth noting."

"Are you giving up?" Yaku asked.

"Not just yet. I still have a plan in mind." Actually he didn't, but he couldn't let Yaku know that.

There must have been something else he could do. He had to look for a weakness. This ability must have one, too. The others did. Reflect did not work if no one attacked. Negative Image did not effect someone unless they were caught in the mirror's surface and had no effect on someone with high levels of anxiety and sorrow. That was the conclusion Kira came up with, at least. Even if that wasn't exactly what caused the mirror to have no effect on him, it was still a weakness nonetheless. Therefore, this move must have had a weakness as well. He just had to look for it.

"Ok, let's do this, Wabisuke." Kira tightened his grip and went in to strike again.

The image blocked him no matter which way he swung. Kira blocked when the image came at him. Kira kept his eyes on the image but he was also watching Yaku closely to see if he was doing anything that might indicate a weakness.

He didn't seem to be doing anything other than hold onto the mirror. His lips weren't moving so he wasn't speaking to the image. His hands were holding onto the mirror pretty tightly so he wasn't controlling it with his hands. Maybe it really did have a mind of its own when attacking.

Although...

The waist. It was still attached to the mirror.

Of course. The image couldn't leave the mirror. How could he have not noticed this sooner? When he jumped back, the clone did not follow him. It remained in the mirror. This was a handicap, but there must have been more. What wasn't he seeing?

"Hado 31, Shakkaho!"

Yaku turned the mirror and the image took the hit for him. The clone was smoking but remained unscathed. It seemed that the image was a lot denser than glass which made it very durable. Kira was almost hoping it would break. Without the mirror, Yaku had nothing to fight with. He could not defend himself either.

"Wait a minute." Kira realized something else.

Just before the attack, Yaku turned the mirror. He moved the clone to where he needed it to be.

It could not change direction on its own. Yaku had to move the mirror if an attack came from a different angle. That was its weakness.

"Hado 31, Shakkaho!" He fired down at the dry soil between himself and Yaku. A dust cloud formed which he used for cover. He had to get around that clone and behind Yaku. Attacking his back was the safest. Yaku would not be able to block with the clone fast enough.

Yaku listened carefully for Kira's footsteps rather than look for his shadow moving through the dust.

To the left.

Yaku turned his mirror around and waited. Kira came out of the dust cloud and straight into the mirror's attack. The mirror image sliced Kira's shoulder with its sword. As Kira pulled back, the hooked blade went into him from behind as he tried to get away.

"I do not see why you have such a strangely shaped weapon," said Yaku. "It is curved like a fish hook. If you try to move backwards with it at your side, it will cut into you from behind. If you use it to stab someone, it will not work properly, being curved. The best you can hope for is poking them with its curved outer edge. Shoving rather than cutting does not bode well for you in this or any other fight. Not against someone who is trying to kill you."

Kira lurched forward to get the sword out of his shoulder and quickly moved aside before his clone could cut off his head from behind. Blood ran down his arm and onto the ground.

"Bet you're grateful you are not fighting Zalya right now, aren't you?"

Kira pressed a hand to his injured shoulder. He was thankful for that. He would not last long against a man like Zalya. He was fearful of facing the man, but was so relieved when he found Yaku instead. Yaku seemed easier between the two.

No. That wasn't true. He was just as frightened of fighting Yaku. That only changed when he realized that Yaku's mirror had no effect on him. He was mostly afraid of being rendered helpless like all those other Soul Reapers. The idea of laying helpless on the ground, feeling sorry for himself and so depressed up until his final moments frightened him so much. He didn't want to die but being forced to feel such a way would make him beg for death, just to end that empty, sorrowful feeling of worthlessness.

Kira looked over at Hisagi who still wasn't moving. He was an easy target but he was far enough from danger so Kira wasn't too worried. However, if a stray attack came his way, Hisagi would not move to avoid it. That was problematic. Kira would have to defend Hisagi while he was in this state.

That's when he realized something else.

When he fired a Kido at Yaku, he blocked with his mirror and the clone took the hit for him. The mirror did not absorb it. Did this mean that as long as he was using this attack, he could not use his mirror's other ability? Reflect wouldn't work as long as the clone was in play.

If that was the case, then Kira didn't have to worry about Hisagi being hit with a stray shot just yet. So far, he was safe.

It was only a hunch at this point. He would have to test it to be certain.

"Hado 31, Shakkaho!"

The image moved and blocked with its sword. Again, the mirror did not reflect his attack or absorb it. Apparently it could not use both abilities at once.

Which meant a barrage of attacks would be difficult for Yaku to handle.

A folly of arrows would work nicely for this but Kira was not a Quincy, so Kido would have to suffice.

"Hado 31, Shakkaho!" He fired once. Twice. Three times, then again and again. Over and over he fired the same attack until Yaku disappeared behind the cloud of dust and smoke.

Now was his chance. Yaku would expect the attack to continue so he would keep his mirror fixed to that one spot. Kira would keep firing until he got close enough, then move quickly to a different position and attack.

Kira stepped forward, his Kido attack unceasing. He got closer and closer until he was certain Yaku was only a few feet in front of him. He fired one last time then immediately jumped and attacked from above.

The mirror's smooth surface greeted him like a flat, shiny jewel. The clone was nowhere in sight.

"Thanks for the ammunition, Soul Reaper," Yaku grinned. "Reflect."

"Dammit!"

Yaku unleashed everything Kira had thrown at him. He had set aside the clone and absorbed the attacks instead of block them as Kira assumed he would do. The smoke must have been from the first few attacks landing on the clone before the switch was made.

Kira was caught in midair by the attack and disappeared in the massive explosion. It was like being hit with multiple bombs.

Not every attack landed. Some just sent him flying on a powerful gust of wind caused by the explosions. He was thrown backwards and landed on the ground.

Yaku ceased fire and observed Kira closely. He knew Kira was still alive but wanted to see what he would do next. Could he stand? Could he walk? Would he give up? He wanted to assess his condition from here and see what Kira would do next. What Kira wanted to do and what his body would let him were two different things.

Kira's arms shook as he put pressure on his hands. He struggled to a kneeling position and examined his injuries. His kimono was scorched and torn, his sleeves nothing but tatted cloth. He was burned and cut and covered in dirt, but he was still able to move.

"How foolish," Kira lectured himself. "I should have seen that coming. What the hell was I thinking? I should have known better."

It was a lot of self-pity, but it was thoughts like this that made him immune to the mirror's power.

Remembering that, Kira realized that he was stronger than he knew. Stronger than he was given credit. Weakness became strength as long as he got back up. Mistakes were triumphs if he learned something from them.

Little by little, Kira pulled himself up and stood.

"Impressive," said Yaku. "I would have thought you would lie down and quit after such an attack. I have to give you credit, Soul Reaper."

"My name is Kira. And there's no way I can give up. Not now. No way."

"Oh?" Yaku looked intrigued.

"Remembering that I'm immune to the mirror's ability made me realize that if I don't defeat you, no one can. If I give up, then it's all over. You'll just face another Soul Reaper and use the mirror on them. As long as I am able to do something, then I will. There's no way I can give up."

He was not the same person he was before. He had grown so much since his days at the academy and under Gin's command. Since the war and everything else he had to face.

Giving up would be easy. Trying would be harder. Succeeding would be next to impossible.

But he could not give up. No matter how hard it would be or how much pain he was in. He had to fight until the end. He had to give it his all and go until he had nothing left.

"So determined," whispered Yaku. "I have to say that I am impressed."

To fight so hard for others and feel such a sense of responsibility was almost overwhelming for Yaku. The fact that his mirror had no effect on him led Yaku to think that Kira was weak and would run away as soon as things looked bleak. He thought if he hit Kira hard enough with some powerful moves, he would give up and beg for mercy. Not just for himself but for others. Kira was not doing as he expected. Kira was standing strong. Knowing that the mirror did not effect him made him take up his sword and fight until he had nothing left. To fight and defeat Yaku because he knew no one else could. If he alone was not effected by the mirror then everyone else was, therefore no one would stand a chance.

"So you will fight because you believe no one else can... Because if you give up, I will continue to take people down until there is no one left to fight against me or any Quincy. What responsibility you have. What a task you have taken upon yourself."

Yaku smiled.

Kira flinched.

"In that case," said Yaku, "then I shall treat you to a grand battle. If we are destined to die, then I see no reason why we shouldn't go all out. It would be a waste. I will give it my all, Soul Reaper Kira. You and I shall battle until one of us is defeated. To the last man standing."

Was Yaku still holding back? Was he stronger than this?

"You do not want someone to take you lightly, yes? So I will give you the fight you deserve. Is that agreed, Soul Reaper Kira?"

Without thinking, he nodded.

Yaku's smile spread. "Well, then... Let's see if you can do it. Let's see if you can defeat me and save your precious friends. Think of this as a test of your worth."

"A test of my..?"

Yaku's mirror began to glow.

"I was ordered to come here and defeat as many Soul Reapers as I could. That is my mission and my master's will. You seek to stop us and defeat me in order to protect your friends. I want to see which is stronger. Which one will prevail."

A contest between Soul Reaper and Quincy.

Kira gripped the handle of his sword and prepared to deflect whatever came from the mirror this time. He was betting on it being another one of his Kido attacks but he couldn't be certain. Yaku seemed to have another trick up his sleeve.

The mirror was glowing but nothing came out of its surface. Kira didn't understand. He was waiting for an attack but Yaku wasn't doing anything. Or so it appeared.

If nothing was coming out of it then something must have been going into it.

Realizing this, Kira quickly moved out of the way. Yaku's mirror followed him but the light was beginning to diminish.

"Then it's true. The mirror was taking something in... But what?" Kira already knew that it couldn't render him helpless like Hisagi and so many others, so there must have been another ability he wasn't aware of.

 _"_ Did you notice?" asked Yaku. "You must have. You're on the move again so you must have figured out that I was taking something from you. Tell me, do you feel any weaker? Are there any changes or have you moved too quickly before it was complete?"

Kira looked down at his body. Now that he mentioned it, his arms were feeling a little weaker but not by much. He assumed it was from the ongoing battle, but Yaku must have done it to him.

"My mirror can also absorb the Spirit Energy of those it captures in the mirror. But it takes a while so that's why I don't like to use it."

 _"_ Then you going into that speech just a minute ago... That was you stalling. Going on and on like that gave your mirror more time to absorb my Spirit Energy. I noticed it glowing but you weren't attacking; just running your mouth. But you were attacking the whole time."

"So you did notice. Very clever. You're right. I was going on and on to keep you still so my mirror could work. I can only do it on someone who is standing still and my mirror must keep hold on them the entire time, so stalling is the best strategy. Otherwise I usually hide somewhere and point the mirror at someone's back while they're talking to someone else or looking at something. I'm never noticed. By the time the realize they've had their Spirit Energy taken, it's too late and they're left feeling very weak. Too bad it didn't work on you though. If it isn't complete, then I have to start all over again."

"But now that I know, I won't let you do it."

"It's like I told you. I don't like doing it anyway, so you're really doing me a favor. I just told you to be fair. You might as well know all the abilities I'm using. Don't you think?"

Kira had nothing to say.

"I figured it was worth a shot." Yaku raised his mirror. "Alright. I'll be serious. If you are so determined to protect your friends and take me down, you might as well know what you're up against. I will not make it easy for you."

"Like it's been easy so far."

Yaku smiled a little. "It's business. It's war. But... I do want to see just how far you are willing to go for these people you call friends. To protect those who might not be here tomorrow due to their career choices. Soul Reapers are always throwing themselves into danger. How depressing."

"You saying how depressing things are is depressing!" Kira was finished taking his time. He was through listening to Yaku talk. Now he had to fight. "Bakudo 63, Sajo Sabaku!"

Yaku looked at the ropes winding around his torso. He wouldn't be able to reflect this attack.

"Mirror Image."

The clone of Kira was back and took the attack unto itself. The clone was wrapped in ropes but not Yaku. With the clone's job done, Yaku sent it away. The clone retreated back into the mirror along with the Kido.

"So the mirror can't repel it, but it can take the hit for him. Does this mean that the clone thing of me is going to be bound the next time it leaves that mirror?"

"Attack and find out, Soul Reaper Kira."

Yaku was baiting him.

But at least now Kira knew what might be more effective against him. "Bakudo 63, Sajo Sabaku!"

The ropes appeared again and so did the clone which was no longer bound. The clone took the Kido again for its master, but Kira wasn't going to watch it happen like last time.

"Bakudo 63, Sajo Sabaku!"

"Ah?" Yaku looked at the ropes winding around his torso again. The clone in the mirror was taking on the first attack which meant Yaku could not defend against this second attempt. His arms were bound to his sides and the mirror dropped to the ground.

"Yes!" It was working. Kira was winning.

Yaku struggled against the Kido but there was no getting free.

"I've got him now." Kira took up his sword and moved in.

Yaku lifted his head and saw Kira coming. Then he looked at his mirror which had landed face-down. He looked back at Kira.

"Reflect."

"Huh?" Kira stopped mid-stride and watched as the mirror was propelled upward into the air by a massive blast. It had released another one of Kira's Kido attacks directly into the ground, causing it to fly into the air from the force of the explosion.

As it descended, Yaku reached out with his fingers and caught the mirror. Turning his fingers up, he rotated the mirror so it was pointed directly at his restraints. "Reflect."

The Kido shattered and flew in different directions.

"Dammit." Kira thought he had Yaku defeated but he spoke too soon.

Yaku now freed turned the mirror on Kira. "Reflect."

Kira ran from the explosions, zigzagging across the battlefield. Then he had another idea.

"Bakudo 73, Tozansho!"

Yaku looked around at the beams of light beginning to surround him, forming a large triangle. "Reflect."

The light changed directions, expanding away from Yaku rather than enclose him. Moments later, the Kido was gone.

"Were you trying to trap me inside that thing? I can easily break out of it."

Kira tried to think. He could try using that other Kido but Yaku, having already seen it, would be expecting it. He had to try something else. Something that would get that mirror away from him.

"Reflect." Kira started running again, hoping Yaku would run out of ammunition soon.

Then he realized just how close the fight was getting to Hisagi. One of the stray blasts went straight for him.

"Hisagi!" Kira made a sharp turn and went to help his friend. He threw himself over Hisagi's body to protect him from the blast. The Kido didn't hit either of them directly but it did cover them both in dirt as it hit the ground with tremendous force. Kira lifted himself up and looked down at Hisagi. "Are you alright?"

Hisagi only moaned with a sad look on his face.

"Don't worry. We're both fine."

"I'm so worthless, I can't even get destroyed properly," Hisagi moaned. "I can't even get hit with an explosion."

Kira rolled his eyes. "I'll snap you out of this. Just you wait." He looked back at Yaku. He was just standing there. This gave Kira some time to think of an option.

He saw Hisagi's Zanpakuto laying on the ground. It was no longer in its released state, which gave Kira an idea. He looked around for Hisagi's sheath.

"Taking your time, I see," Yaku called to him.

The Soul Reaper returned Hisagi's Zanpakuto to its scabbard.

"What is he doing?"

Kira used his sheathed Zanpakuto as a windmill and cried out, "Hado 58, Tenran!"

The Zanpakuto was used as a catalyst to stir up a giant tornado. The powerful wind was aimed at Yaku. The tornado nearly knocked him off his feet. Yaku hid behind his mirror and yelled out, "Reflect!"

The blast of wind was sent back in the other direction, forcing Kira to flee.

But he wasn't going anywhere without Hisagi.

"Come on, get up!" Kira pulled on Hisagi's arm. "Get up! Hurry!"

Hisagi was nothing but dead weight. He wouldn't budge.

Unable to do anything else, Kira slung Hisagi's arm over his shoulder and attempted to carry him to safety, but the wind got there first. Clutching Hisagi tightly, Kira was thrown into the air by the powerful gust, spinning at an incredible speed. When the wind finally died down, he and Hisagi were both slammed into the ground. Hisagi landed on top of Kira, his body cushioning his fall. Kira was dizzy and had the wind knocked out of him but he was alive.

"Hisagi..?" Kira lifted his head. "You ok?"

He gave a depressed sigh. He was alive but unwilling to speak.

Kira pushed Hisagi off his chest and stood up.

He was slowly figuring this out. Some Kido would be effective against Yaku. Anything aimed at him like a projectile would be easily deflected, but certain binding techniques seemed to be more effective. He couldn't easily dodge those or reflect them back at the caster.

"If I can just get it so he can't use his hands..."

Yaku held his mirror close to his chest. His gaze was fixed on Kira but he wasn't anticipating his next move. He was observing.

"He wouldn't leave that Soul Reaper behind. Even though he was dead weight, he still tried to protect him. He wouldn't leave him and save himself. If he had, he would have not been caught by the attack but his partner would have. This man means that much to him..? To risk himself for another..."

He had seen people do things for each other many times, but they were little things like holding doors open or waiting for someone to finish a test so they could travel together. It was rare to see someone put their own lives at risk for another person's. With the company he kept, it was an impossibility. Yagi would never do something like that for them. They would have risked themselves for Yagi if he were in danger either because he told them to or because they still needed him. He was an asset. It was more of a gesture of need than love.

They needed Yagi because he was intelligent and powerful. Invading the Seireitei was his idea. They all shared the same goal but it was Yagi who was calling the shots. It was his plan, not theirs. Therefore, without him, they would be lost. They couldn't carry out the mission without him. That was the only real reason why they would have risked themselves to save him.

In Mordere's case, he would have gladly sacrificed himself for Yagi without having to be asked. For him, it would be out of love. He respected and cared that much for Yagi. But not Yaku. Yaku would not risk himself for Yagi because he wasn't that devoted to him. He did not love him. He respected him and even feared him, but never loved him. That was the real difference.

"I see."

"See what?" Kira overheard Yaku's muttering.

Yaku smiled softly. "Just confirming something I already knew."

Loyalty to someone who was loved than loyalty to someone who commanded it was different. Very different.

They were forced to obey Yagi out of fear for the most part. Similar goals and feelings set aside, it all came down to Yagi barking orders at them and doing something to them if they didn't do their assigned jobs well enough.

Yagi was strong and intelligent and organized and intimidating, charming, ruthless and so much more. Everything they could want in a leader. He was someone they could respect and follow. But if he couldn't back any of it up, they would never have stayed this long. At least, Yaku wouldn't have. Personally, he wouldn't have followed Yagi this long if it weren't for certain traits and because of his position of power.

Those qualities made him obey. But if Yagi were in danger and they did not need him, he wouldn't lift a finger to help him.

Yaku closed his eyes. "You've demonstrated something I've suspected for quite some time, Soul Reaper Kira. That love trumps fear. You're more likely to go back and help someone while putting yourself at risk out of love rather than because they told you to do so."

Kira glanced back at Hisagi then back at Yaku. "So you wouldn't lift a finger to help your leader if he were in danger?"

"No, I would not. He would order us to, but of my own choosing, I would not. I only obey out of fear and because I know he is stronger than myself. But if it's a question of integrity... No, that's not the word." Yaku shook his head. "Ah, let's just say I wouldn't bother saving him at risk to myself if the situation ever occurred. I respect him, but I do not love him."

"Would you put yourself at risk for anyone else?"

Yaku thought a moment then shrugged. "No. Because there is no one out there that is that important to me in that way. There is no one that I love. You see, I have never formed a bond with anyone. I work with many people and I've lived among many people, but I did not love any of them. Like I said, I have trouble connecting with others."

"Because of that attitude of yours," Kira pointed out. "Since you never see a point in anything because it's fleeting, you've never been able to form a bond with anyone. It's as if you always ask yourself 'why bother' and then ignore it. Instead of thinking about the end, why don't you enjoy the beginning and the middle? See what happens and enjoy it while it lasts? Like with books and things. You enjoy reading them and when the book ends, it's over. But at least you can look back and remember the things you liked."

"I don't read much. I do, but... I just like watching people better," Yaku admitted. "I study them and see what they do and try to figure them out. Try to see why they do what they do and for what purpose. So I notice a lot of things about people. The way they act around others, how they behave when they're alone or think they are. For many of them, it's like they have an image to maintain. As soon as no one is watching, they act differently. Rarely do I find those who don't."

"Are you like a philosopher or something?" asked Kira. "Trying to understand people so you can understand yourself a bit better?" Kira looked at the mirror. "Or are you stalling again so you can use that power of yours?"

The mirror was not glowing like before.

"No," admitted Yaku. "I'm not using my mirror. But I will admit that there is some truth to what you say. I suppose I am trying to understand myself a bit better through other people. I still feel like an outsider, though. It's not that I feel like I can't relate to others... I just..."

He didn't know.

He didn't have a hard life compared to others. He went to school with other children and watched them play and study and socialize. He didn't engage them and they never asked if he wanted to join. He was always invisible. No one really noticed him. He sat quietly at his desk and no one ever glanced at him. He was a little on the shy side when he was younger, but he was also naturally quiet. He never had anything to say to them and they weren't very interesting to him.

He remembered sitting in the hall one day and noticed a girl waiting outside a classroom for her friend. She waited for a full hour before the door opened and the two went skipping off together. Yaku watched the girl wait for her friend without a word. She didn't seem to notice him anyway. He quietly observed her until her friend came and they left. He didn't have an opinion at the time. He only observed with quiet indifference.

He had a good family. He lived in a neighborhood where families came and moved out on a regular basis. One neighbor moved in with a small white rabbit. He kept it in a cage in the small front yard on sunny days. Yaku went over to feed the rabbit grass everyday, stuffing it through the thin bars of the cage. One day, he picked a lot of beautiful green grass for the rabbit, but discovered that the rabbit was gone. The cage was not there. According to the neighbor, he had gotten rid of it. Whether he had given it away to someone else or released it into the wild was never specified to six year old Yaku. All the neighbor ever told him was that the rabbit was no longer there. Yaku dropped the blades of grass on the sidewalk and went home.

Other neighbors came and went just as quickly as the rabbit. A young boy moved in down the street with his family. Yaku had some interest in the young boy and liked watching him play in the yard and draw with chalk on the sidewalk. He even approached the boy once to ask him a question. The boy was playing with something Yaku had never seen before and wanted to know what it was. It was a toy that changed shape in water. The boy offered to play with him and show him how to use it. The boy had a lot of interesting toys and didn't talk a lot. Yaku liked him. Then one day, as he rode his bike past the house, he noticed that the boy was gone and the family was leaving with their car packed full of boxes.

There was a neighbor who moved in to the same house. He was an old man and liked to give out candy to all the local children in exchange for listening to his stories. Yaku didn't care for the stories but the candy was good. The stories went on and on but the old man told them in such a captivating way and made it easy to listen. He was a great storyteller. Then the stories were swapped for a 'for sale' sign and the candy stopped.

Then it was Yaku's turn to move, just as a new family with children moved in next-door. He lived in an apartment, then in a house. The schools were different, too. Each year, just as he got used to one teacher, he would graduate to a new class with a new teacher and different students. Nothing stayed the same. He moved, others moved, things changed. Even stores he liked to visit ended up closing down or were replaced with something else. Here one minute and gone the next. Yaku suspected that this was a factor pertaining to why he had trouble forming attachments.

"I guess I just don't understand people." Yaku looked down at his mirror. "I don't understand why they cling so much to such fleeting things. Why they become sad, knowing it would end one day. Even if they did not know, why become attached and put themselves through such pain?"

Kira didn't know what to say.

"Quincies die, Soul Reapers die. Humans die." Yaku didn't lift his gaze when he asked Kira a soft question. "Why go through so much for someone who will die? Even if there is no saving Ichigo, why would you fight so hard for him? Is one person really that important?"

"All life is important."

"What of Quincy life? Is that important?"

Kira took in a deep breath through his nose. "It is. But you became a threat. Not all Quincies. Just the ones who attacked us. Including you. If you had stopped… If you had simply given up… I would not have to fight you."

Yaku chuckled softly. "You would show mercy to me. How kind. But…"

"I know. You won't give up. You have a job to do. You don't have to say it. This conversation is going around in circles."

"Glad we agree." Yaku lifted his head. "All you need to know is that I see you as an enemy. There is no compromise. Leader wants you dead and I don't object to that. We are simply too different. We cannot see eye-to-eye and we have different ideas. You think your way is best and we think ours is just. Simply trying to reason with us is pointless and appealing to logic is wasted because we're just too different. I know you were trying to reason with me and make me see that our methods are wrong, but I will not be swayed. Not just because of leader's orders, but because I simply cannot trust in what I do not understand."

Could they have really been that different? Even Uryu wasn't this stubborn.

"I just cannot trust in what I do not understand. I do not understand people. Not fully. I understand that they will betray each other and look out for their own interests and are ruled by their emotions. I trust that I cannot trust people. That much is certain. I trust that they are too unpredictable."

Yaku looked down at his mirror.

"And I trust that one day, they will all be gone. That is so depressing."

Kira saw the mirror flicker and knew an attack was coming.

"Perhaps I should not have said anything," said Yaku. "It's like I told you before. I am not good with words. I have trouble putting my thoughts into words. Some of the things I told you I feel I did not explain properly. Not a good portrayal at all. So I suppose we should not exchange words anymore. Let's just battle it out and see where it takes us. The other thing I trust is that at the end of the fight, one of us will be dead."

* * *

Please review! ^-^


	36. Chapter 36

**Chapter 36:**

Back and forth, their attacks flew, sent and returned. Kira fired Kido and Yaku reflected them back.

It seemed like a waste, but Kira was exploring his options. He wasn't sure if the mirror could be overloaded or not. He wanted to test its limits. He was also trying to tire Yaku out, but he was still going strong. Considering the fact that he didn't stray too far from that one spot, Yaku had plenty of energy to spare. Kira was the one running and dodging. Yaku only moved when he had to.

Kira paused his strikes and rested the tip of his sword on the ground. Between the two of them, Kira was the one getting tired.

"Come on, think." Kira had to think of something to win this fight. If things continued to drag on like this, he would be too tired to move. If he couldn't move, then Yaku had this fight won.

Kira explored his options again. A direct attack wasn't good. Reflect could send anything he threw at Yaku back at him, including Kido. His mirror could make a copy of him which could fight in his place. He could even drain the Spirit Energy from his body but Yaku admitted that he didn't like using that power. If he was desperate enough, he might.

What else? What could he do?

Reflect. A clone.

The clone.

Kira looked down at his sword.

He had crossed blades with that mirror image several times.

He looked back at Yaku.

"The mirror..."

Yaku watched him closely.

Kira lifted his sword and gave a single nod of his head. "I know what to do."

It was only a theory, but it seemed legitimate. Yes, it was certainly a possibility.

He had to try.

Kira ran forward and Yaku lifted his mirror.

"Reflect."

Kira jumped at the last possible second, sailing over the last Kido attack the mirror absorbed. His feet hit the ground and continued to run straight at him.

Yaku started to back away, unsure of Kira's proximity.

Kira raised his weapon over his shoulder with one hand.

Yaku held up the mirror. "Reflect."

His mirror pushed Kira's sword backwards and Kira along with it. Kira's heels dug in the ground, slowing him down. He ran forward again, launching the same attack.

Yaku saw him coming and readied his mirror.

Kira raised his sword in the same fashion but before he could swing, he changed the sword's path, cutting diagonally instead of vertically.

The sudden change didn't throw Yaku off as much as Kira had hoped. With a slight adjustment to his mirror, Yaku sent Kira and his sword flying backwards yet again.

Kira picked himself up and charged again.

Yaku frowned, certain Kira would try a different attack this time while making it look like the previous one. Kira was trying to trick him.

Kira jumped and swung his sword again.

Yaku stepped back. "Reflect."

Kira released his sword.

"Huh?"

Kira intentionally let go of his sword.

His Zanpakuto flew backwards and landed on the ground with a clang. At the same time, Kira's body kept moving forward and punched Yaku in the face.

As Yaku reeled back, Kira grabbed onto his mirror with both hands.

"Give me that!"

Yaku and Kira grappled over the mirror.

"Let go!"

"You let go!"

Twisting and pulling, yanking and shoving, they both wanted that mirror.

"Reflect!"

The mirror began to glow bright red and unleashed another Kido it had been storing.

Kira ducked while his hands remained attached to the mirror's decorative frame. The Kido went over his head, but his hands felt hot. His palms were too close to the mirror's surface, leaving him with minor burns.

Yaku kicked Kira in the face and, keeping his foot on Kira's jaw, twisted the mirror from his grip.

Kira grabbed Yaku's leg and held on tight.

"Are you that desperate now?" Yaku tried to shake him loose but Kira wouldn't budge. "This is pathetic. Let go of my leg!"

Kira wrapped his arms and legs around Yaku and held on tight.

"Get off!"

"Give me the mirror!"

Yaku held it high above his head.

Kira tried reaching for it but Yaku held it even higher, stretching his body as far as it would go.

Now the mirror was facing the sky, which was exactly what Kira wanted.

Still pretending to reach for the mirror with his hand, he turned his palm toward Yaku's chest. "Hado 31, Shakkaho!"

He couldn't reflect it.

The blast sent both of them flying in different directions. Kira tumbled away while Yaku soared and came crashing down with his right hand clutching his mirror. Yaku's chest was smoking and he was charred but still able to fight. Yaku sat up slowly and gave Kira a cross look.

Kira ran back to his sword and picked it up. He ran back to where Yaku sat and got ready to strike.

After being hit with that attack at such close range, Yaku should have been weakened.

"Reflect."

Kira ducked down and swung at Yaku's legs.

Unable to gauge how close he was, Yaku's legs were struck. He felt the pain but didn't see any blood. He scrambled away and looked down at his legs. He was hurt, but he wasn't cut.

He looked back at Kira's sword and realized that a curved blade like that wouldn't be able to cut easily. Kira must have struck him with the side of his blade instead of the blade itself.

"Of course. How could I forget? I mocked you for that just a few minutes ago when you were fighting your clone."

Kira pursued him.

"In fact, why don't you say 'hello' again?" Yaku held out his mirror. "Mirror Image."

The clone was back and ready to fight. It swung at Kira and Kira blocked. He swung his Zanpakuto and the clone blocked.

Yaku held the mirror straight out in front, guiding the clone to where he should strike.

Their swords clanged together. Over and over again, they clashed.

"Just as I thought." Kira looked at the mirror's framed edge. He took his attention away from the clone for an instant to cut at the mirror's frame.

It was a success. His Zanpakuto hit the mirror's edge.

Yaku adjusted the mirror, thinking Kira was trying to cut off his fingers, but that wasn't the case.

The clone struck Kira again. This time, on the shoulder. Kira jumped back, holding his arm. He wasn't cut, but it was a hard hit. Kira picked up his sword and went for the mirror's edge once again. He cut the rim and Yaku moved to the side.

Kira turned his head and saw the clone coming at him with an overhead strike. He jumped to the side and then jumped into the air. Yaku saw Kira descend upon him from the sky and held up his mirror to block. This gave Kira a blind spot to take advantage of.

Holding the mirror in front of his face blocked Yaku's view of him which was a deadly mistake. He expected the hit to come at his face but when it didn't happen, he got confused. He lowered the mirror and looked around. Kira was gone.

"Hyah!" Kira slashed at Yaku's legs and then at the mirror.

Yaku ran to the side in retreat. He knew Kira was too close and had to get some distance.

Something was wrong.

While Yaku wasn't a typically fast runner under normal circumstances, he was still plenty fast and could get away if needed. However, at the moment, he was slow. His legs couldn't keep up with his demands. They felt sluggish.

And heavy.

Within no time, Kira had caught up to him and prepared to strike once more. Yaku held up his mirror to block and Kira cut the rim instead of Yaku's head. He then ordered the image to attack Kira which it did, but not before Kira could get in an extra strike on the mirror's rim.

Kira and the clone crossed blades again. Back and forth, they struck. Then Kira retreated. He ran to Yaku's back and tried to cut him while his back was turned. Yaku turned the mirror and had the clone take the hit for him.

Undeterred, Kira ran to the left and tried again, but again the clone blocked. Kira ran to the right and slashed at Yaku's arm. The blade of his Zanpakuto hit the mirror's frame instead of Yaku's arm.

Yaku jumped back and pointed the mirror at Kira. The clone brandished its sword threateningly.

Taking a deep breath, Kira charged.

At the last moment, he dropped to his knees and slid under the clone and beneath the mirror. He cut it with his sword at the same time Yaku stepped on his neck.

"Filthy Soul Reaper!"

Kira rolled away before Yaku could inflict more damage. He coughed and retreated to a safe distance. His neck was sore and it felt like his windpipe had been crushed. The damage wasn't that severe but the pain was.

Kira held up his hand. "Had... Hado 31, Shakkaho!"

The clone vanished and the mirror absorbed the attack.

Before it could be sent back at him, Kira dashed forward and took a swipe at the mirror. The edge of his sword nicked the rim of the mirror. It knocked the mirror off coarse just slightly, but Yaku easily corrected its path.

"Reflect."

Kira dodged, but it was too close for comfort.

Supporting his mirror with both hands, Yaku took aim. "Mirror Image."

The clone was back and swinging. It cut into the ground where Kira lay, forcing him to retreat. The clone dragged its sword across the ground, drawing a line in the dirt. It lifted the sword and swung at Kira's head. Kira ducked, bent his knees and launched himself into the clone from below.

The attack was enough to rattle the mirror in Yaku's hand.

While the clone was in the air, Kira cut the rim of Yaku's mirror again. Before he could strike again, the clone slammed the sword into Kira's spine and knocked him to the ground.

From the ground, Kira could see an opening between Yaku and the mirror. "Hado 31, Shakkaho!" He aimed carefully, but it was no use.

The clone retreated back into the mirror and the smooth surface absorbed the attack before it could hit Yaku.

"Thanks for replenishing my arsenal, Soul Reap-"

Yaku's bent elbows straightened as the mirror suddenly dropped straight down.

"Wh- what?" Yaku's back arched as he tried to lift it. "What is going on? Why is it so heavy all of a sudden?"

Kira lifted himself up into a kneeling position. "Actually, it's been getting heavier. You just didn't notice until now. I guess that last attack sent it over the edge."

"Huh?" Yaku's body pitched forward and his mirror came to rest on the ground. Yaku's knees were bent, his hands still clutching his precious mirror. "What are you talking about?"

"Your legs, too. I would imagine they feel heavier, don't they?"

Yaku took his attention off his mirror to look at Kira. The fact that Kira knew such a thing must have meant that he had something to do with it. He must have been the cause.

Kira stood, looking at the sword held in his right hand. "You see, my sword doesn't always cut the way you'd expect."

Yaku continued to try lifting the mirror but it was so heavy, he might as well have been trying to lift a cinder block.

"My Zanpakuto increases the weight of whatever it cuts. It doubles the weight each time the object gets cut. Five becomes ten, and ten becomes twenty, then twenty becomes forty, and then forty becomes eighty. You get the idea."

Then Kira was never trying to cut Yaku's fingers. He really was aiming for the mirror. He wanted to make it so heavy Yaku couldn't hold it anymore. Now it was too heavy for him to lift.

"When I was crossing blades with that clone, I noticed that no matter how many times its sword struck mine, it never got heavier. So that got me thinking. I realized that the image you made of me doesn't have my Zanpkuto's power. But it seemed that no matter how many times I cut it, it also never seemed to increase in weight. I assume it has some sort of power. I'm not sure how it works, but given that the surface could change shape and that the clone comes out of the mirror, it must be within the mirror and not the mirror itself. So I decided that I had to attack the mirror itself and not the image."

Kira still didn't have a full understanding of how Yaku's mirror worked but through trial and error, he learned enough to get this far.

A normal mirror could never do the things Yaku's mirror was capable of. A mirror's surface could never change shape like that, which led Kira to believe that Yaku's mirror could change its properties and morph. Not on the surface but from within. When the mirror wasn't active, it functioned as a regular mirror. The glass remained smooth and clear. When he used his mirror to make a clone of Kira, the glass bubbled and rippled like water. It wasn't glass anymore. That much was certain when Kira tried cutting it and the surface was hard like steel. Glass would have been much easier to break. Therefore, Kira came to the conclusion that the mirror could change its form, but only below the glass surface.

To Kira, it seemed like the glass was moving out of the way in order to let the clone go forth. Maybe it was, maybe it wasn't. All he knew for certain was that the mirror's glass wasn't glass anymore when it did this. If it changed, that might have explained why it didn't increase in weight when Kira cut it with his sword.

The mirror could also absorb attacks into its surface and send them back at the opponent. Those attacks weren't a part of the mirror itself. Perhaps the clone was the same way. It wasn't technically part of the mirror.

Kira wasn't certain either way.

However, he knew one thing. The only part of the mirror that never changed was the frame. The frame was part of the mirror but not the glass itself so it didn't change as the glass did. That was the only place he could cut.

"You might have also been so focused on the fight that you didn't notice the mirror's weight increasing. Once you did..." Kira looked at Yaku who was still hunched over his mirror, desperately trying to pick it up. "Well, you're aware now."

Yaku couldn't lift it.

"If you can't lift it, you can't use it."

Yaku didn't have to be holding the mirror in order to use its power, but if he couldn't angle it, then it was useless to him. He couldn't expect Kira to hold still and let the mirror land a hit on him.

He had to move it.

Yaku heard Kira's footsteps and knew he was coming.

Yaku pulled with all his might. The mirror tilted. He straightened his back, pressing his feet into the dirt. It looked as if he were trying to move the ground with his legs and dislodge the mirror from the earth.

Kira was steps away now.

Yaku saw him. He felt his shadow. Kira was right on top of him.

In one fluid motion, Yaku ripped the mirror from the ground with both hands and spun. The side of the mirror smashed into the side of Kira's head and knocked him down. Yaku spun halfway around from the momentum, mirror still in his hands. Then the mirror dropped, taking Yaku with it.

It was still too heavy.

Kira pressed a hand to the side of his face. The hit had him reeling. By increasing the weight of the mirror, he had given Yaku a new weapon. Kira felt as if he had been struck with a hammer.

As soon as the ground stopped spinning, he picked himself up and went after Yaku.

Yaku's back was aching. The mirror was so heavy. Just how much did it weigh now? A hundred pounds? Yaku knew he wasn't the strongest physically so maybe it did only weigh a hundred pounds. Still, that was a lot for something he could easily carry in his arms all day long and support with only his fingertips.

Now it weighed so much he could barely move it. As he tried, the decorative rim cut into his palms leaving deep indentations.

Kira was coming. He saw him coming. He felt him coming.

Yaku pulled. He still had that one Kido left inside his mirror. If he could just hold it up, he could unleash it and hit Kira. Or he could lay the mirror on the ground and use the blast to force it off the ground and into his arms.

"Reflect!"

The mirror shot off the ground and into the air. Yaku grabbed it and turned. Kira was heading straight for him.

The mirror's weight was suddenly realized and Yaku's arms fell.

It might have been his luck. He fell to the ground with it just as Kira's sword passed over his head.

Yaku kicked Kira's ankle, knocking him off balance. Yaku went back to his mirror and tried again to lift it.

Kira stumbled and fell to one knee.

They were both equal distance apart and they were both on bended knee.

It was now or never.

Kira picked up his sword.

Yaku wrapped his hands around his mirror and pulled.

Kira pulled his sword back.

Yaku lifted his mirror off the ground.

They both turned to face each other.

Kira swung his sword at the same time Yaku held up his mirror to block.

It took all of Yaku's strength, but he managed to hold it out in front of his chest just as Kira swung.

CRACK!

Yaku stood frozen.

Kira stood with his sword pointed at the ground, his diagonal swing finished.

The mirror in Yaku's hands cracked and the glass shattered. The mirror itself was cut in two.

A line appeared on Yaku's chest, running from his left shoulder to his right hip.

Blood.

Yaku stared at his shattered mirror with wide eyes. Then his gaze traveled down to the wound cutting him in half, just like his mirror.

Then he looked into Kira's eyes and spoke his final words.

"Well, that's depressing."

Yaku fell backwards and lay dead on the ground among the shattered remains of his beloved mirror.

* * *

All at once, the Soul Reapers laying sprawled on the ground in the sickbay shook themselves and sat up. Some looked at each other in confusion while others murmured and started to stand.

"Look!" exclaimed one of the nurses.

Everyone in the sickbay stopped what they were doing to watch the Soul Reapers gather themselves and stand on their own. They hadn't moved in days so this was a sight to behold. Some even shed tears of joy upon seeing the Soul Reapers return to normal.

The Soul Reapers asked questions. Some asked what had happened to them, some wanted to know if they could leave and some wanted to know what was going on at that moment outside. Although, some Soul Reapers just picked themselves up and went on their way without asking too many questions.

"Does this mean it wore off?" asked one of the nurses to another.

"Or could it be that someone defeated the Quincy responsible?"

* * *

Around the Seireitei, Soul Reapers began to lift themselves up and look around with bright eyes. The once listless Soul Reapers stood up and looked around with the energy and hope that had been lost to them moments ago. Some went off in search of friends and others went to see what had caused this sudden change.

Out on the dirt field, Hisagi's dull, dreary eyes regained their light and he lifted his head.

"... Kira?"

Kira turned around, hearing his voice. "Hisagi!" He came sprinting over and slid to a stop on his knees, crouching over his friend. "Hisagi, are you alright? How do you feel?"

Hisagi grinned. "I feel so much better." He looked like a great pain had been taken from him and was able to breathe again. "What about you?" he asked, his eyes becoming serious. "Are you ok, Kira?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

Hisagi looked around. "What about that guy? The Quincy. What happened to him?"

"It's ok," Kira told him. "I defeated him."

Hisagi looked at him in surprise. "You did?"

"Yup!"

"But... What about that mirror? How did you..? You didn't get hit with it? How'd you manage that?"

"Uh..." Kira didn't want to say it. "Ah, it's... It was nothing. I just..." He grinned. "I just... broke his mirror."

"You did?"

Kira nodded.

"I see. So that's how you managed it." Hisagi started to sit up. "I could hear you fighting but I wasn't paying attention. I felt so empty and miserable. I hope I never feel that way again." Hisagi patted Kira on the back. "I'm glad you didn't have to go through that. I'd hate for you to feel that way."

"Yeah... Heh heh." Kira looked away with a feeble grin.

Hisagi looked across the field at the body laying on the ground. "Is that him?"

Kira looked. "Yeah. I defeated him. It's done."

Hisagi stood up. "Good job." He stared at the body for a while, then his face grew serious again. "We're not done, though. Not only do we have to report this, we also have to look for other survivors. There was another Quincy who got into the Seireitei. We have to check things out."

"That Quincy might have been defeated, too. Yaku over there said he sensed it."

"We still have to make sure." Hisagi pointed. "You go that way and I'll go this way. You can use medical Kido so you should heal anyone with serious injuries. I'll go check on a few things while you're doing that. Got it?"

"Got it."

There was no time to waste. They could rest later. While they were busy fighting Yaku, the condition of the Seireitei was unknown. They had no idea what had transpired during this time. For all they knew, there were people in desperate need of attention.

* * *

Hitsugaya heard footsteps. He hoped it wasn't another enemy. He was in no condition for another fight.

The footsteps came closer then stopped, casting Hitsugaya in shadow.

Hitsugaya lifted his head and looked up.

"It's you."

Cedric bent down and looked at Hitsugaya's injured body. Then he looked at Zalya with a frown.

"It's ok. I defeated him. He's dead."

Cedric looked back at Hitsugaya. "That looked like no easy feat. You're heavily injured."

"I'll live," said Hitsugaya.

"Even so." Cedric lifted Hitsugaya into his arms and carried him away.

Hitsugaya was in no condition to get himself medical attention which he desperately needed so he didn't protest being carried off like a child.

"The others," Hitsugaya whispered. "Did you find any other injured Soul Reapers?"

"I found a few," answered Cedric. "I took them to the sickbay to be treated and that's where I'm taking you. I'll look for more after I take you there."

"Good. And thanks."

"You're not going to complain that I wasn't here to defeat the enemy for you and save you from such injuries?"

"It's a Captain's job anyway. Besides, I imagine you were looking after your own. Linnette, right?"

Cedric turned away. "It would seem that she has run off on her own. I do not know where she is."

Hitsugaya turned his head. "Aren't you worried?"

"Of course."

Hitsugaya looked away. "Don't worry. If she's run off, she must be with someone. Even if she's not, I'm sure she's safe. Otherwise you wouldn't be here, right?"

Cedric looked down. "That is not the only reason for my concerns."

* * *

Kira ran down one street and was ordered to stop by another Soul Reaper.

"Lieutenant Kira." Akon approached him along with other members from Research and Development. "Is it true that one of the Quincies has been defeated?"

"Uh, yes. I did."

"Where is the Quincy?"

"Uh..." Kira pointed over his shoulder at the dirt field.

"Over there? Thanks." Akon pointed. "Body's over there, guys."

"Yes!" cheered one of the researchers. "Let's go gather 'em up!"

"No piece left behind, men."

"Ahem, and ladies."

"You're the only girl here!"

"I still count!"

Akon rolled his eyes and followed the group.

Kira watched them with concerned eyes. "I hope Mayuri didn't order them to retrieve the body for something weird. Knowing him..." He shook the idea from his mind and went off in search of survivors.

* * *

"Captain!"

Byakuya looked up from his desk. Two Soul Reapers were standing in his doorway looking flustered.

"Captain Kuchiki... There was an attack. It seems the Quincies returned."

Byakuya frowned.

An attack? And he wasn't informed? How was it that no one knew about this until now? Were they keeping quiet about it? For what purpose?

Byakuya stood up. "Where?"

"Captain, that's not why we're here. It seems that the matter was settled."

"That's right. We came here to tell you-"

Renji appeared behind the two men and said, "A meeting was just called for all Captains."

"Yeah, that," the Soul Reaper said, his shoulders slumping.

Byakuya was even more irritated now. "Fine."

Hopefully they would explain at the meeting why no one was informed of the Quincy attack.

* * *

Please review! ^-^


	37. Chapter 37

**Chapter: 37  
**

The group stood over what remained of Sharif's body. He was nothing more than a pile of bones and melted flesh. Strands of his hair remained, swimming in a puddle of goop, chunks of body parts sticking up like icebergs in the sea.

It was a horrifying sight to watch him deteriorate to such a state. Linnette had to turn away and cry into Rukia's shoulder. Rukia held her and stroked her back as she sniffled and sobbed.

Rukia shared in her sorrow, but seeing such a thing had her worried more for Ichigo. She feared he would suffer a similar fate. This made her more determined than ever to save him. It also made her even more worried.

Veneno stood over Sharif's remains without a word.

Though he hadn't known Sharif for long, his death had an effect on him. He was sad he was gone. He was angry at Yagi. He was worried Ichigo would meet the same end.

Clenching his fists, Veneno threw back his head and screamed at the sky. He had no tears. He couldn't cry. All he could do was bellow, venting his fury and sorrow for all to hear.

His screams caused Linnette's cries to stop and she wiped away her tears.

Veneno stopped to catch his breath and panted unevenly. It was as if he were crying but the tears would not come. His breathing were shaky gasps. Finally he calmed enough to turn back to the group. In his eyes were flames of determination and rage. The rage he had inside he would unleash on Yagi. Until then, he would keep it bottled inside.

He would avenge Sharif and save Ichigo. By killing Yagi he could achieve this and end up saving countless others.

The group shared in his feelings and were more determined than ever.

Though Shinji could no longer stand, he would accompany them. Though Rojuro was in pretty rough shape as well, he would fight until he could no longer move, if that was what it took.

"Let's go," said Rukia.

The others nodded and followed her.

* * *

Yagi took one step after another, putting distance between him and the group. There was no sign of them so he felt he had traveled far enough. He glanced down at the wound in his side and put a hand to it. Blood was soaking his perfectly white clothing, but there was a bigger problem of bleeding out. The battle had caused the wound to open further, but thankfully the bleeding had stopped. Just to be on the safe side, he had to treat this as soon as possible.

He took a container from his belt and opened it. Inside was something similar to a liquid bandage. He squeezed the bottle over the wound, sealing it closed. The liquid was clear and fixed to his flesh. It looked as if he had sealed the wound with masking tape. Now he didn't have to worry about it reopening.

He returned the bottle to his belt and looked around to get his barrings.

There was a small forest further ahead of where he stood. A smile crept onto his face. What better place to hide the one he was looking for?

* * *

Ichigo looked around for his sisters. They had run off and left him alone in the living room some time ago. Ichigo had built himself a fort out of blankets and pillows. He had grabbed whatever he could to support the blanket draped over the back of the couch and kitchen chairs. It wasn't easy, but it was a lot of fun to build. He grabbed another blanket and threw it over the armchair and dragged the coffee table behind the couch and under one of the blankets so he had a place to put his toys. To keep the blankets from sliding down, he held them in place with heavy books and tucked them into the couch cushions.

Satisfied with his work, Ichigo went off in search of his sisters. He was eager to show off his fort but he couldn't find them anywhere. They weren't in their room and they weren't in his, though they shouldn't have been there to begin with. He checked the bathroom, the hallway, the back yard, and the front yard. Even the clinic. At least he tried. The door was locked.

As he was checking the kitchen, he heard giggling. Thinking they were hiding in one of the cabinets, he opened the doors and checked inside, moving pots and pans aside. They weren't there.

The giggling was coming from the living room. Ichigo went back to his fort only to find that his sisters had already discovered it. Not only that, but they had completely taken it over. They had moved their dolls and stuffed animals and puzzles inside and were laughing.

Ichigo growled in annoyance. All his hard work and now he couldn't enjoy it.

He didn't spend all that time making an awesome fort just for them to come along and take it from him. He made it for himself, not them.

He marched over to the fort, with every intention of making them leave.

"This is great," said Yuzu. "It's so nice in here and there's lots of room for toys."

"And if you open this flap here, you can even watch the TV. And here's the remote! Ichi thought of everything. Everything but snacks."

"I found a pudding cup."

"Great!"

Ichigo was even more upset now. That was the last pudding cup and he was saving it for himself. That's why he had brought it into the fort in the first place. It was his good-job pudding and it would taste better inside the fort. Eating it outside wouldn't be the same. He was going to call it fort-pudding and everything!

"Isn't this great. Karin? It's warm in here, too."

"Yeah. Great place to take a nap, isn't it?"

"And to play. There's enough room for lots of people to come in. I bet mommy would-" Yuzu went silent.

Ichigo's heart sank.

It had been six months since her death. There were still times when they would forget and try to include her in everyday conversations. Once Ichigo had a nightmare and called for her first but she never came. That's when he remembered she would never answer his call. In school, his teacher would tell him to bring something home and show it to his mother and father, which only made him upset. They had a special mother's day celebration at his school and he was the only one there without his mother. No mother to watch him, no mother to share food with him and he tore up the half-made card because he felt it was pointless. He had no one to give it to.

His sisters were in the same boat. They had both joined a kid's club for girls and recently the club had a special mother-daughter sleepover party. Yuzu and Karin stayed home while all the other girls had fun playing with their mothers and eating junk food. Sometimes they would forget and ask after her. Yuzu would wonder if she would have liked what she made that day or would have enjoyed certain movies. Karin would wonder if she would have played soccer with her or done painting.

Every now and then those slip-ups would happen, which would then lead to an uncomfortable silence and the feeling of depression. Often Yuzu would start crying which would then make Karin cry, which she would always fight. Then Ichigo would begin.

Yuzu started sniffling. "It might have been nice... if..."

Ichigo's heart ached. He could feel himself tearing up. He had to fight it. He didn't want to cry. He didn't want his sisters to cry.

He could hear Yuzu fighting to hold it back. If she started...

Ichigo had to get his mind off this sadness. He had to change the subject. He had to get them to cheer up.

"Roar!" Ichigo beat the side of the blanket with his fists. "Roar! I'm a scary monster! This is my fort! Grr! Roar! I've come to take it from you!"

His sisters were quiet for a moment, then Karin spoke up. "We know that's you, Ichigo."

"I don't know this Ichigo of whom you speak. But he sounds super cool and awesome. But he's no match against me! Grr! Grr!"

"Stop it!" yelled Yuzu. "You'll wreck the fort!"

"You mean my fort! This fort is too cool for you girls!"

"Is not!"

"Is so!"

Karin threw one of their toys out the opening but it missed him. "We're not leaving. It's our fort, you dumb monster."

"Oh, yeah? You will defeat me? How? You're just a couple of girls. Girls are too weak to defeat a monster!"

"Oh, it's on now!"

They peeked between the blankets and threw their toys at him. Ichigo ran around the fort growling and stomping his feet. When they ran out of toys to throw, he forced his way into the fort and playfully attacked the two giggling and screaming inside. They pushed him with their tiny hands and beat him with pillows.

"No!" he yelled dramatically. "I cannot be defeated by two girls! No!"

"Get him, Yuzu!" Karin beat Ichigo savagely with a pillow. "That's it! Get him!"

They were all laughing and having a great time. No one remembered their sadness.

They played together and remade the fort when Ichigo tore down one of the walls with his foot, rolling to avoid Karin's swings. They made it even bigger and they all played in it together now that there was peace in their kingdom. Their father even allowed them to eat their dinner in the fort. He had little choice since there were no chairs at the table. In fact, there was no table. The children had dragged it into the living room and used it as part of their expansion. It was great. They even slept in it that night, having a kind of slumber party.

It took two full days but their father finally made them take it down.

* * *

A Captains meeting was called and all available Captains arrived at the Head Captain's instruction. The meeting room was very empty compared to the last time they held a meeting. Hitsugaya wanted to attend the meeting but Unohana would not permit him to leave the sickbay with his injuries. While he lay in bed, she attended the meeting and would relay the information back to him after they were dismissed. Two of the three Vizard Captains were also absent from the meeting, still assisting Linnette beyond the walls. Mayuri, who was still working on a cure in his lab, was also not present.

"Might I ask why an attack occurred within the Seireitei and no one bothered to inform me?" asked Byakuya coldly.

"Yeah, what gives?" added Kenpachi. "I'm in the dojo kickin' ass and teaching my Squad members a lesson in strength and no one bothers to come get me? No one tells me that there's an enemy in the Seireitei? Come on! What's up with that?"

"The attack was done quietly," said Soi Fon. "No one knew about it."

"Anyone that did was rendered helpless by that Quincy with the mirror. The other guy killed them all."

"It should have been reported. The Seireitei is large. If something is happening in one single location, it's possible that no one else will know about it unless they are also in that area. My office was too far away so I didn't sense anything," said Byakuya. "If it had been reported, we might have been able to handle the matter quickly and stop the attack. We might have been able to save lives."

"Or added to the count," said Komamura. "My understanding was that the Quincy with the mirror picked off each and every Soul Reaper he found, whether they were attacking or fleeing. Though he left them alive, he rendered them helpless. The other Quincy simply butchered them. Between the two of them, I'd say it's possible that any Soul Reapers left unharmed did not bother reporting it out of fear that the reinforcements would also meet a similar fate."

"It's true," said Unohana. "There were Soul Reapers who did call for aid and anyone who showed up ended up one of two ways. It might have not been reported because someone realized the pattern and thought they were saving lives by not reporting it to a Captain."

"Yeah, I know," said Kensei. "Their objective was to wipe out as many of us as possible. My guess is that they were hoping for us to call for back-up and have a Captain show so they could be defeated."

"But a Captain did arrive. Captain Hitsugaya faced off against one of the Quincies."

"And won."

"You didn't see his injuries. On the surface it didn't appear to be too bad but inside was much worse," said Unohana. "He just barely made it out of there alive."

"And he had the opportunity to call for back-up and report this to the rest of us."

"But he didn't because he was worried that it would result in someone getting killed. He told me so himself," Unohana went on. "He discovered that his Zanpakuto gave him an edge in his fight against the blood-wielder. No one else would stand a chance against him. Anyone who showed up would have ended up getting cut which would have only made the Quincy stronger. So that's why he didn't report it. He didn't want more people coming to his location and getting hurt or worse."

"It should have still been reported," said Byakuya. "Even if it was just a warning to stay away."

"Would any of us have listened?" she asked. "If you heard that we were under attack and should hide, would any of you have done that? I'm certain that we would have all gone rushing to the location ready to fight."

"So it was to help us," said Komamura.

"Or that no one was able to report it, like we said before," said Kensei. "Anyone who tried ended up one of two ways."

"At least the threat was taken care of."

"Not quite," said the Head Captain. "There is still the matter of their leader. Not to mention Kurosaki's condition."

Everyone grew silent.

"I understand that the two Quincies who arrived were here on a mission. That mission was to wipe out as many Soul Reapers as possible. However, they also had plans to use Kurosaki against us as well. I heard that one of the Quincies admitted that they were paving the way for Kurosaki's return to the Seireitei."

"It's true," said Kensei. "I heard it myself. They intend to use Ichigo to attack us while he's not in control of himself. And when Ichigo's time runs out..."

Kensei grit his teeth, knowing Ichigo's fate.

"Ichigo will die."

Everyone looked at Unohana who had spoken those cryptic words.

"That is their intention, correct?" she continued. "I heard it before. The drug they injected him with is a type of poison. It will kill him. Basically, we're left with two choices. We can either let Ichigo rampage until his time runs out and dies a horrible death... or we kill him ourselves and save him further pain while also saving ourselves."

"Yes, that still stands to reason," said Soi Fon.

"And Ichigo is getting closer to the Seireitei by the second. Those Quincies even mentioned it. They were here to prepare for him, I think."

"There were many reasons for them being here."

Then the Head Captain turned his attention towards Kensei. "You were the last one to speak with Captain Kurotsuchi on the matter. Has he made any progress?"

Kensei was afraid to answer, knowing it would condemn Ichigo to death. Even if he said Mayuri was close, which he wasn't, Yamamoto wanted a yes or no answer. Kensei had to answer with a single word and that word would seal Ichigo's fate.

"Well?"

Kensei gulped. "No, Head Captain. Captain Kurotsuchi has not yet come up with a cure."

"I see."

"But he's still devising one. It's only a matter of time."

"Time that we do not have," said Soi Fon. "I don't know how much longer we can wait for him."

"We can't. That's the truth of it," said Byakuya.

"He is right," said the Head Captain. "We've run out of time. There's rumor that Kurosaki will not last the day anyway. And once he arrives, he will not stop unless he is stopped."

Everyone knew what he meant. Ichigo would not be able to control himself. The only way to stop him was to use force. Otherwise, his rampage would only end when his time ran out.

Either they waited until he died from the poison or they would end his life themselves. Those were their only options. Options they've known for some time and hoped for another.

There was no other way.

"I am sorry."

The Head Captain made up his mind. He weighed the options and made the call.

"I hereby order Ichigo Kurosaki's execution. If he is still in Hollow form and beyond reason, kill him. If no cure is found or made, end his life. It is the merciful thing to do. It will spare him further pain and save countless lives."

Kensei kept his mouth shut. He wanted to scream. He wanted to yell at the Head Captain and tell him to wait just a little longer. He wanted to plead with him, but his voice was gone. His hands were shaking and his heart was aching but he could not make a sound. He was paralyzed.

Even if he could find his voice, it didn't matter. They had run out of time. Not only that, but Mayuri wasn't close to finding a cure. In truth, everyone feared that by the time he did find one it would have been too late for Ichigo.

Was this really their only choice? Was this the right thing to do?

Ichigo was in agony. He was on a rampage. His body was breaking.

Maybe it was right to end his suffering.

In doing so, they would spare him further pain and save lives.

Killing Ichigo was exactly what the enemy wanted. They were doing as the Quincy wished from the very beginning. This wasn't right. They were playing right into his hands.

What other choice did they have?

* * *

 _"Don't die, Ichigo. Please. I couldn't bear it."_

Ichigo opened his eyes. He felt his body behind carried away by a current. He lifted his head with great difficulty and saw the rising water pulling his body like an ocean wave. He was in his Inner World again. Which meant everything he had just heard was in his mind. More memories.

He didn't know how long he had been out this time, but it was long enough to show him many visions of his past. During that time, he had flashed back to when he had first met Rukia and gave him his Soul Reaper powers, rescued her from her execution, and heard Orihime pleading for him not to die as he battled Grimmjow. Moments from his past that had an impact on him and his life, however small. They were meaningful moments.

Then he had a memory that seemed very insignificant. He was at school, hanging out with his friends. Talking. Just talking. It was just before class and they were gathered together. Nothing happened. No danger, no Hollows, no fights and no discussion of such things. They were just being normal teenagers, talking about normal things. It was nothing important.

So why would he remember such a thing? Come to think of it, most of the memories he was revisiting were of simple things. Getting a snack from his mother, his father caring for him when he was sick. All simple things. Only recently had he started seeing clips from his battle history.

Why was this happening? Why was he seeing the things he was in such an order? It wasn't every single moment in his life. Just a few clips. Why were such things so important? Why was he seeing them?

Then he remembered another moment. A moment that impacted him for the rest of his life. A moment he would never forget.

It was just a moment. A fragment of his past. He could identify the exact moment with just his tone of voice and the word he spoke.

 _"Mom? Mom?"_

It was raining.

She was on top of him.

 _"Mom?"_

She wasn't moving.

He was scared.

Ichigo's heart ached. He would always remember that moment. He would always feel guilty. No matter how many times he was told it wasn't his fault. No matter how many people said it. He would always feel guilty.

He shut his eyes tight, the pain coming back. Not from his current situation, but from the pain of his past.

If only he hadn't run off as he did. If only he could see it was a trick. If only he hadn't put her in danger.

 _"It's my fault."_

Ichigo realized he wasn't the one who had said it. It was another memory. It was Cedric's voice. He had spoken those words when Linnette was in peril. When he and Victor had failed to protect her.

Ichigo had told them both it wasn't their fault, but they felt guilty no matter what he said. Just as Ichigo felt when his mother died. Everyone told him the same thing he had told Victor and Cedric. It was the same.

"That's why it effected me," Ichigo said aloud. "It was a combination of things, but that's one of them. Why didn't I see if before? The way they felt... It was the same way I felt that day. The guilt. The pain."

In a way, it was like looking at a piece of himself.

The fear of losing Linnette, the reality of losing his mother...

Ichigo shut his eyes tight again. He had so many feelings and memories to process. He kept wondering why he was seeing what he was seeing. What the meaning was behind it all. He must have been seeing these things for a reason. The fever must have been effecting his mind to some extent, but he wasn't sure that's all this was. These weren't fever dreams. These were real memories. His memories.

He could hear his friends calling out to him, in play, in danger and in worry. He could see their faces. Smiling, screaming, crying. Laughing.

Ichigo looked back at the crumbling buildings. Everything was shattering around him.

He clenched his fists. "The hell with this." Ichigo tried to pull himself into a sitting position. It was too difficult to do on his back. He rolled over onto his stomach. Spitting out water, he pushed himself up onto his knees. He physically crawled through the water, inch by inch.

"What the hell are you doing, King?"

"I can't just sit around and do nothing."

"It's not like you're in any shape to do anything."

"Shut up." He wasn't done yet. There was no way he was giving up.

He knew now why he was seeing those visions of the past. Why he was seeing those memories in particular. There was meaning behind it.

All those people he loved, all the ones he cared about. All those lives linked to his. People who were counting on him and people he was depending on as well. They gave him a reason to keep going. Why he had to stay strong. Why he couldn't give up. He had to protect them.

Yagi.

That was another reason why he was seeing those memories.

"I'm not going to let him win. He thinks he can just do whatever the hell he wants. I've got news for him. He can't. He thinks he's won. He thinks I can't fight back. He wants to use people. Use me. I won't let him!"

His white doppelganger lifted his head slightly to look at him. "In the state we're in... You know we won't last much longer. I know what the Quincy said was true. The more we fight back, the less time we've got. The weaker we'll become."

Every time Ichigo lost consciousness, his body would be put into a state of rest. When he resisted the transformation, he would lose strength, causing him to pass out. It was a no-win situation. If he rested, that Hollow would take over. If he fought back, it would put tremendous strain on his body, weakening him. If he didn't fight back, he would last longer.

However, simply being in that Hollow state was destroying his body. Resisting or not, what it came down to was what was going to kill him faster. He was going to die either way, but the difference rested upon how quickly it would happen if he resisted or not.

Ichigo could feel his body giving out on him. He knew how bad it was. He knew resisting would kill him faster, but even when he did nothing he was going to die from this serum.

At this point, he just didn't want to go down without a fight. If he was going to die anyway, he was going to go down swinging. He no longer cared about lasting a while longer to be cured. Now he just wanted to last long enough to defeat Yagi.

"I'm not giving up. I'm not going to lie here and let this happen. Let him get his way. If he wants me dead, then he's going to accept the fact that I'm taking him with me. I'm not going down without a fight. I'm taking him down. I'm going to give Yagi one hell of a fight. He thinks I'm weak like this and can't do anything. I'll show him how wrong he is. I just want to last long enough to fight him one last time."

His Hollow watched him with curious eyes. He could see Ichigo's body was shaking. He could barely crawl, let alone stand. Ichigo was determined to fight one last battle. He wanted to spend however long he had left fighting.

"I guess I could help you out, King."

If they put all the energy they had left into one final attack, Ichigo may have a chance. Using everything they had left, Ichigo would be able to stand. However long he could last was up to his body. Eventually, it was going to give out, even with all the determination in the world. That was just how it was. Until that happened, though, Ichigo would fight. Fight with everything he had left.

"You do realize, King, that if we do this... there is no coming back. This will be the last time."

This was the final attack. There was no more passing out and resting just enough to regain consciousness for a few minutes in excruciating pain. They were using everything they had. Which meant, when this energy was gone, it was over. The next time Ichigo passed out, he would not wake up. Everything had to be done in this final round. There were no more chances.

The next time he lost consciousness, the Hollow would have complete control up until the moment he died. That was the reality. Once this energy was gone, it was gone. Ichigo would not be coming back.

It was something Ichigo was already aware of and accepted. He knew this.

"Yeah. I know. But I'm doing it anyway."

His Hollow smiled weakly. "Then let's give him hell. One last time."

* * *

Ichigo opened his eyes and saw Yagi standing over him with his weapon held high.

Thinking fast, Ichigo rolled out of the way of Yagi's Seele Schneider and into a crouching position. He felt something in his hand and looked down. He was still holding onto his Zanpakuto. Unconsciously or consciously, he wanted to fight.

Yagi faced him with a look of annoyance. He had run out of patience.

Feeling some strength return to his body, Ichigo stood.

"This would have been so much easier had you just given in some time ago. I never thought you could last this long."

Ichigo lifted his sword and prepared to attack. "Go to hell."

"Not before you."

That was all the encouragement he needed to move forward. He was fighting for his life and the lives of others. He was fighting to stop Yagi once and for all.

"Hyah!" Ichigo swung sideways at Yagi who blocked. Ichigo kept pushing and their weapons were forced apart. He swung again and Yagi blocked. Taking a deep breath, Ichigo swung again. No matter what, he had to win.

"Just give up already," Yagi told him. "It's pointless."

"It's not pointless!"

"You're killing yourself."

"I don't care!"

"I don't understand why a person would put themselves through this. It doesn't make sense." Yagi pushed Ichigo back. "What good would killing me do anyway? You're going to die no matter if I live or die. Is this a revenge thing?"

"It's everything!" Ichigo yelled and swung at Yagi's chest.

"You're a fool."

Yelling, Ichigo threw Yagi backwards into a tree. Ichigo took a step back and swung. "Getsuga Tensho!"

Yagi disappeared and the trees were obliterated. There was a huge gap in the forest from his swing. Some tree trunks were reduced to half their size and started to tumble under their own weight and lack of balance. Yagi was not among them.

Ichigo braced himself against his sword, panting heavily. Using that attack had weakened him. Now he knew not to use it too often. As powerful as it was, he didn't want to weaken himself further by overusing it. He needed every ounce of strength he had.

"Rah!"

Ichigo spun around and blocked the attack coming at his back. Yagi pressed hard against Ichigo's sword with his Seele Schneider. Ichigo put everything he had into his sword and through sheer power, he split Yagi's weapon in two.

Yagi jumped back and watched his weapon crumble. He sneered at Ichigo and drew another from his belt.

They collided with each other and the force created a massive gust of wind that bent the trees away from them. The two broke apart and came at each other again.

"I don't understand you," said Yagi. "Why won't you give up? Why are you putting yourself through this?"

"I have too many people depending on me," answered Ichigo. "I have to protect them."

"Let them fight for themselves. You can't do everything for them."

"I know that! But... But I can't let them fight alone! Not without me!" Ichigo pushed Yagi back. "They're all fighting for my sake. I can't let them do that. Not alone. This is my fight, too."

"You have foolish reasons." Yagi kicked Ichigo in the stomach, successfully pushing him back. "I think I see why you're so willing to fight. You're guilty. You know this whole thing is your fault. You got yourself into this mess."

"That's not the reason!"

Yagi swung his weapon down over his head and Ichigo blocked. Their weapons sent sparks into the air. Ichigo braced his sword with both hands, holding it up over his head as Yagi tried to slice down.

"You brought this on yourself," Yagi told him. "If you hadn't tried to save that stupid girl, you wouldn't be in this mess. I know you explained that you did it for others as well, but that just proves your foolishness. You should have let them die and saved yourself all this trouble."

"I'm not going to let anyone hurt my friends!"

"Even at risk to yourself?"

"Of course!

"Fool!" Yagi snapped. "Don't you see that you could have avoided all this if you hadn't come to me? I knew you would come to try to save that girl... I know that's how you are, but I still don't understand why. Why would you be that foolish?"

Ichigo remembered. "It's the same reason your parents did what they did for you."

Yagi stopped pressing down on him with his weapon. Then after a moment, he started pressing again, harder.

"They were fools, too. I still don't understand that." Yagi pressed down harder, a cracking sound slowly beginning to rise up from their weapons. "It wasn't necessary. We could have all escaped through that door to the outside. Why would they foolishly offer to stay behind while I left alone?"

"Because they knew if they had all gone, they would have been noticed."

"I know that!" Yagi snapped at him. "What I don't understand is why they chose to stay and have me leave. The smart choice would have been to leave me behind and have the Hollows get me while they fled to safety. That's what I don't understand!"

Ichigo couldn't believe this man. Did he really not understand the reason why?

"It's because they loved you," Ichigo told him. "They wanted you to live because you meant so much to them. They felt you were worth that sacrifice. They cared that much about you."

"It's a stupid reason!" Yagi bellowed. "It doesn't make sense! Why die and let another live? It doesn't follow logic! I was a child. They could have had more children. What made me so special? A child is a child. They could have gotten away and had another child. They didn't have to die."

Ichigo couldn't believe this was how Yagi thought.

"It's the Soul Reapers' fault anyway. If they had shown up to help like they were supposed to, they wouldn't have had to die! So the fault is really theirs! No one would have had to die if they had shown up to help!"

Yagi pressed so hard that his new weapon snapped like the first one. He kicked Ichigo in the face and chased after him as he fell back. He kicked Ichigo again and stood over him as he lay on his back.

"You want to know why I hate Soul Reapers that much? That's why! They never came! They left us there to die! Why are you loyal to them? Why are you one of them?"

Ichigo frowned. "You're so mad at them for leaving you behind? Aren't you doing the same thing to your own men? You used one as a freaking shield! You're no better than them in that case!"

"I may not know why the Soul Reapers left us there to die other than the fact that they only cater to their own kind. I don't kill people for fun. It's strategic. My parents still had some fight in them. The people I leave to die can no longer serve me. Or I'm in danger and need someone to take the hit for me. The only thing that matters is that I'm alive. That's what's most important."

"So you're own parents die to protect you and you get nothing from that?"

"All I learned was that they were foolish. Had I been in their place, I would have let them die. That's why when they told me to escape, I did... And never tried to help them. I watched the Hollows tear them apart. The only other thing I might have learned that day was that my life was more important than anything else. Something I keep with me to this very day."

"That wasn't the reason for their sacrifice!" yelled Ichigo. "They did it because they loved you. Don't you understand anything about bonds or people or friendship and love?"

"It is foolish!" Yagi fired an arrow past Ichigo's head. "I can never understand such a thing. Why throw your life away for someone else? It's better to live! Anyone who does that... Anyone who willingly throws their life away and dies is a foolish moron who didn't deserve to live in the first place! They got what the deserved!"

Ichigo's mother flashed before his eyes. He remembered his mother's smile.

Ichigo's body was surfing with energy. He sprang forward and punched Yagi as hard as he could in the face. He couldn't stand anyone talking that way. Yagi not only insulted his own parents but he had insulted Ichigo's mother. No matter how long she had been gone, he still loved her with all his heart. She was no fool. She didn't deserve that. He wasn't going to allow Yagi to talk that way about her.

Yagi was hit so hard, his body flew backwards and fell into a bush. Yagi grabbed his jaw and rubbed it. He looked in Ichigo's direction and glared.

Ichigo was so worked up, he was shaking. He stood tall and took several deep breaths trying to calm himself. He was so angry.

Yagi climbed out of the bush and growled at him. "Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why do you go so far for them? Can't you make more friends? What are they to you? What makes them so special?"

Ichigo didn't know how to answer.

"Never mind. Whatever you tell me will just be more nonsense. You'll just be repeating yourself, I'm sure of it." Yagi sighed. "But you doing this to yourself... It's astounding. You do realize that you wouldn't be in so much pain if you had given up a long time ago, don't you? But instead, you fight back and try to maintain your form even though it's killing you."

All this time, Ichigo never stopped fighting.

"It makes no sense to me. Why would anyone put themselves through it? Just to keep yourself from hurting others? It's foolish. I don't know why you fight as you do. My reasons make sense. Yours... Why do you care so much? Why are they so important? A person is a person. Can't you find others? Why are you willing to go through so much for them and their sake?"

Ichigo opened his mouth, but no words came out.

Instead, he remembered.

The first time he met Chad and when they became friends. The gold coin his grandfather gave to him. It meant nothing to Ichigo but it meant so much to Chad. That was why he fought to protect it and return it to him. Choosing to fight for others. That was what they agreed to do.

Ichigo remembered losing his mother. How she tried to protect him. He lived but he lost her. He wanted to protect others for the same reason she wanted to protect him, and to make sure he never lost anyone ever again. He would become strong for them. He would be a protector.

He remembered two years ago standing on Linnette's porch stargazing. He remembered seeing her looking up at the sky and remembered that Victor was watching her.

That was love.

He remembered Veneno being so afraid. Then he found a home. He got to live. Ichigo remembered how he tried to help Veneno and how he cared about him. He still did. They were friends. As friends, he wanted Veneno to be happy. He wanted to help him.

Now Veneno was returning the favor. He was fighting as hard as he could for Ichigo because they were friends. He didn't want to lose Ichigo anymore than he wanted to lose him or any of his friends.

"Forget it," said Yagi. "It's a waste of time. A fool will always do foolish things."

Ichigo gasped seeing Yagi flash away and reappear in front of him. Yagi back-handed Ichigo across the face and the blow caused Ichigo to spin halfway around and drop to one knee. Suddenly he became aware of his weakened state and knew he couldn't drag this fight out. He had to stop Yagi quickly before his body gave out on him.

* * *

Please review! ^-^


	38. Chapter 38

**Chapter 38:**

"Captain!"

The bustling Soul Reapers scrambled to the walls as Akon rushed by. He was in a full run and unwilling to stop. He even jumped over two coworkers carrying a heavy box who couldn't get out of the way in time. He looked like a seasoned athlete jumping over a hurdle. His foot slid slightly as he landed but Akon refused to fall. He put one foot in front of the other and continued his run.

"Captain Kurotsuchi!"

Akon grabbed onto the door frame and swung himself into the room, ending run. Victor was inside along with Mayuri. They both stopped what they were doing when he entered.

"Captain, sir... Captain..." Akon fought to catch his breath. "Captain... There was a meeting..."

"I know the Head Captain called a meeting but I couldn't leave here. I'm far too busy. If he expects anything done..."

"That's just it, Captain. He knows that you haven't managed to find a cure for Ichigo yet. He says..." Akon didn't want to say it because it meant confirming reality, but he had to. "Sir, he's ordered Ichigo's execution."

Victor's head spun, causing the rest of his body to turn as well upon hearing those words.

"He said we've run out of time. Ichigo is getting closer and closer to the Seireitei and the Quincy attack just a few minutes ago was the last straw. He says things have become too chaotic. We have no more options. He says that since you have not found a cure, he has no choice but to give the order to kill Ichigo. We've run out of time."

"What's this?" came Kisuke's voice. "Run out of time, he says? Did I hear him right?"

Mayuri snarled. "That son of a... He couldn't have a little more patience?"

"According to one of the Quincies who attacked us, Ichigo will not last the day. He's in a bad way and getting worse. The Head Captain feels that this would be a mercy killing." Akon looked at the ground. "I just heard the news and thought you should know..."

The room fell deathly silent.

They had run out of time.

"Unless you've found something that can cure him... the order will be carried out," said Akon.

"As if I haven't been trying to do that?" Mayuri snapped. "Dammit!"

Mayuri slammed his hands down on the keyboard and breathed a sigh through his clenched teeth.

Victor looked at the tools in his hands he was in the process of putting away when Akon came rushing in.

Ichigo was ordered to die? He would be killed? The boy Linnette cared for and called her friend? The boy Victor and his brother could also call by such a title?

Victor felt sadness for Linnette, but perhaps some of this sadness was his own. He would also mourn Ichigo's loss and not just for Linnette and her grief.

It wasn't empathy causing him sadness. He had come to care about Ichigo as well.

He never thought such a thing was possible. To care for anyone other than Linnette. Of course he cared about her more than he did Ichigo, but that didn't mean that he was heartless and would not care if something were to happen to him.

He wanted Ichigo to live. Not just for Linnette's sake but also for his.

"I've been searching and testing and testing and searching and everything else," Mayuri grumbled. "Every option, every test, every outcome the same. They all result in the same fashion. Either they will kill Ichigo faster, or not do anything at all. Everything we've done..."

Kisuke had grown silent. His face was still on the monitor but he wasn't moving, making him look like a paused film.

"Even that vial Kensei brought back turned out to be useless. I tested it anyway to be sure. It will not help Ichigo." Mayuri sat down in a desk chair and pressed his face into his hands. "Ugh..! If only Veneno hadn't destroyed that Quincy's laboratory in a fit of rage. I might have been able to gather up something useful. That damn Arrancar. Does he ever think? I thought he wanted to help save Ichigo. Instead he ends up sealing his fate. Of course, there was no promise that anything in that lab would have been helpful but still... At least we would have had possibilities."

Akon had just about given up and despaired when he heard Mayuri say those words. At first, they meant nothing to him. Then a few words started to stick out.

Or rather a name.

Akon slowly lifted his head. "Veneno..."

The Arrancar in the test tube. The one who could infect people with a Hollow virus.

Poison.

A body broken but a mind intact. A body in desperate need of revival. Regeneration too slow and needed a boost.

Slowly, it all started to come together. The pieces began to make sense and Akon had an idea.

"Captain, didn't you confirm that the drug injected into Ichigo was a type of poison?"

"Yes."

"And didn't you also say that it works by breaking down the body so it kills from the inside out?"

Mayuri lowered his hands and looked at Akon. "It does break it down, yes. I said that it was killing him slowly. And from what I've heard, the more Ichigo fights the transformation, the more strain he puts on his body which will only weaken him, thus kill him faster."

"I was thinking... perhaps we're looking at it wrong. Maybe we shouldn't be thinking of it as a poison in need of a cure. You're an expert on poisons, Captain. If you're not getting anywhere with a cure, then perhaps we shouldn't be looking at it as a poison at all. Or perhaps in another way."

Mayuri swiveled in his seat. "Are you thinking out loud or are you actually on to something?"

"Maybe both. I'm not sure how to cure Ichigo, but I do have a theory. Or rather a suggestion."

"Then spit it out. We haven't got all day."

"Remember when Veneno was in rough shape after the first encounter we had with him? He was so badly wounded and weakened that his healing ability was slowed to the point where he couldn't recover without help. We helped him recover. He's the same Veneno. Not a clone. We healed him. Brought him back from the brink of death."

Mayuri listened. Slowly, his eyes started to widen. Then a look of inspiration.

"Of course. Yes, I see what you mean... Yes!" Mayuri spun around in his seat and started typing as fast as his fingers would let him. "I see. Yes, of course. How could I not see that before? Perhaps this was the enemy tricking us all along. He knew we would try to treat it as a poison. We still can in order to cure it, but it wouldn't do much for Ichigo's recovery. By the time the vaccine takes effect, Ichigo's body will be beyond our aid. But with this... Oh, this will give us an edge!"

Kisuke started moving again on the screen. "Are you doing the same thing you did to revive Veneno a few years back?"

"Not exactly but it's the same principal." Mayuri continued to type. "I'm using that method as a base for what comes next. Then I'm combining the parts of the experiments that were promising and extract certain parts pertaining to what you see here."

Kisuke craned his neck to see the screen on which Mayuri was displaying information. "Oh, yes, I see. Ooh! That's brilliant. It's a combination of different things. Veneno's recovery might have been the missing piece we needed. Good thinking!"

"This was exactly what we needed. And the work's half done for us. I have all the data from that cure you made for the Hollow Reaper serum Victor came up with a while back. By combining it with this and a few tweaks here and there, plus what we gathered from the serum the Quincy made and injected into Ichigo... Yes, indeed this is promising. Now to find the right combination and run some tests. We don't have long. You better pray this works."

There was still hope. Ichigo wasn't dead yet. They could still save him.

However, time was still not on their side. In addition to worrying about Ichigo's deteriorating condition, they also had to worry about the Soul Reapers dispatched to eliminate him.

Now they had to move even faster.

Victor used his speed to rush around the laboratory, grabbing everything Mayuri told him to. They needed to move fast. There was no time to stall. They needed every precious second.

"Hang on just a little while longer, Ichigo," Victor whispered as he rushed to collect all the tools Mayuri needed. "We're going to save you. So don't give up just yet. We're coming."

* * *

The leaves were shaken loose by the tremor that spread from the ground up the tree roots and to their branches. The battle waging on between Ichigo and Yagi was still going strong. Neither side was giving up, but the younger of the two was at a disadvantage.

Yagi fired a round of arrows at Ichigo. He took shelter behind a tree trunk and waited for the pounding to stop. As soon as it grew quiet, Ichigo rushed out and took a swipe at Yagi's throat. Yagi bent backwards and grabbed Ichigo's wrist. He spun around and threw Ichigo into another tree.

Ichigo slumped to the ground, winded and aching.

He couldn't stop. Not yet. Not until Yagi was defeated.

Even if Ichigo didn't survive the battle, he didn't care. Ichigo wasn't fighting for himself. He was fighting for his friends. For everyone. He knew if he didn't defeat Yagi, he wouldn't stop. Yagi would keep going until every Soul Reaper was dead. Ichigo had to stay alive in order to stop him. Yagi didn't just want him dead, but everyone. That was why Ichigo was still fighting. Why he couldn't give up.

He would not let Yagi continue to hurt innocent people. He would not let him hurt his friends.

Yagi was mistaken when he said it was pointless for Ichigo to fight considering how he'll be dead either way. It wasn't for revenge. It was to protect everyone. As long as Yagi lived, he would not stop.

Ichigo used his sword as a crutch and hoisted himself up into a standing position. He fell back down with a yelp as Yagi fired another round of arrows at him. Ichigo braced himself on his sword again and quickly dashed behind another tree.

"Stop wasting my time!" Yagi bellowed.

Ichigo's condition wasn't the only thing deteriorating as the battle dragged on. Yagi was becoming more unhinged the longer the battle took. Ichigo had no idea what Yagi had to face during the time he spent unconscious or in another location, but it must have taken a toll on him. He wasn't as calm as he was before and his mood was certainly not improving.

Yagi's condition became even more apparent with his next move. He used an attack Ichigo could not see from his hiding place to topple the trees in one fell swoop. The trees to Ichigo's left were sliced at their base and toppled like dominoes. Yagi was eliminating Ichigo's hiding places. Soon there would be no trees left.

Ichigo had to run. Either that or stay where he was and risk being chopped in half by whatever weapon Yagi was using. Being sliced wasn't the only possibility either. He could have also been crushed by one of the falling trees.

Yagi spotting Ichigo making a run for it and followed him with a barrage of arrows.

Ichigo tucked his head and blocked any arrows coming at his neck with his sword. He ran as fast as he could through the woods, stumbling several times over tree roots and bushes.

He could see a part in the trees. He was nearing the edge. He was almost out of here.

Then he wondered if he should leave the woods. He could use the trees for cover, but Yagi was cutting them down knowing that was Ichigo's intention. What lay beyond the trees was a mystery. Either way, it wouldn't offer him much in ways of cover. For all he knew, he was heading for an open field where there would be nothing to hide behind.

Should he risk it?

An arrow struck the branch by his head, separating it from the tree. It bounced against Ichigo's shoulder before hitting the ground.

He didn't have time to debate this. Yagi was getting closer.

Using the woods for cover no longer mattered. Not if Yagi was going to destroy it. He could always hide behind the fallen trees, but Ichigo didn't want to go with that option. The trees could still be used against him. Yagi could roll one over on top of him. The fallen trees also didn't offer much protection. He would have to lay on the ground in order to hide himself which Ichigo didn't want to do. It was getting harder for him to get up each time he fell down. If he lay beside a fallen tree, he might not be able to get up in time to avoid Yagi's next attack.

His mind was made up. He had to leave the woods.

The tree in front of him was bombarded with arrows until it fell, cutting off Ichigo's path.

"There!"

"Ah!" Ichigo felt Yagi's hand on the back of his neck. He was slammed into the tree from behind. He was forcibly pulled away then slammed into it again, face-first.

"You have to make things difficult, don't you, Ichigo?"

Ichigo cried out as his face struck the trunk of the tree again.

"Why couldn't you have just given up and let the transformation take place? Why couldn't you just do your job and then die? Do you have any idea what you're putting me through? How tiresome this is for me?"

Ichigo yelped and tried to cushion his face with his hands but he wasn't able to lift them in time.

Finally, Yagi stopped pressing Ichigo's face into the wood. He pulled back and drew a new weapon.

Ichigo ducked and climbed over the tree. He heard Yagi's weapon clash against the tree, creating a strange sound. It wasn't a thunk, as he would have expected. It sounded like it had struck metal.

Ichigo looked down and saw that Yagi's weapon had struck the side of Ichigo's sword. Ichigo still had his weapon in his hand but he was holding it upside-down. Instead of the tip being pointed forward, it was pointed backwards; something that turned out to be very fortunate. Yagi's strike was heading for Ichigo's leg. The sword blocked Yagi's strike, saving Ichigo's limb from being sliced off.

Ichigo silently praised his sword and jumped over to the other side of the tree. He stumbled and landed on his backside and nearly rolled onto his back but put his arm out to steady himself. Yagi effortlessly jumped onto the fallen tree and saw Ichigo sitting on the ground.

He had become so weak, Ichigo felt like a child running from a stranger. He easily stumbled and tripped and was reduced to running and hiding. At the same time, Yagi still had plenty of strength and was able to move without stumbling. The odds were against Ichigo. The only thing Ichigo had in his favor was the fact that Yagi wasn't calm and collected. He was agitated. Hopefully Ichigo could benefit from Yagi being more emotional. With any luck, it would make him irrational. If he wasn't thinking clearly, he might not be able to fight as well.

Ichigo knew he was weaker, but he wasn't panicked. This was good. He still had his wits about him.

Another arrow sailed past Ichigo's head as he got up to run. He stumbled and fell against a tree. He braced himself against the trunk and tried to find his footing. An arrow sank into the wood between his fingers. Ichigo quickly moved his hand and started running again.

His legs felt heavy. It was as if he had weights tied to his ankles.

The only thought on his mind was to escape. He had to get away.

With a burst of energy, Ichigo broke through the woods and into the open air.

As his eyes adjusted to the light, he realized he was in an open field. Just as he feared, there was nothing to hide behind. He was vulnerable.

"No place left to run, Ichigo."

He spun around and saw Yagi behind him with an arrow at the ready.

"You're in no condition to run anyway."

He was right. Ichigo knew he was getting weaker by the second. Instead of running, he should be fighting.

Ichigo lifted his sword. "Getsuga Tensho!"

Ichigo's attack was unleashed and Yagi's image flickered. The next thing he knew, Yagi was right in front of him. Ichigo jumped back, but Yagi's response time was quicker. He grabbed the front of Ichigo's kimono and held him. Lifting his right hand, Yagi punched Ichigo in the face. Ichigo lost his footing but, thanks to Yagi holding him up, he did not fall. Yagi punched him a second time and threw Ichigo onto the ground.

"So weak."

Ichigo lifted himself onto his elbow and coughed. It was getting hard to breathe.

"Why are you Soul Reapers so proud of this power you have? What do you have to be proud of? That you are strong enough to make the rules? That you can pick and chose who to save and when? That everyone else has to come to you, begging for aid? Is that why you have the nerve?"

Ichigo turned his head slightly to look at Yagi.

"You are a Soul Reaper," Yagi went on. "I understand that you weren't always a Soul Reaper. You were a simple human before. You gained this power and it was taken from you when you defeated Aizen."

Yagi stepped closer and stood over Ichigo's body.

"So why?" he demanded. "Why would you want to gain the power back? Why not just continue to live as you did before? Did having such power mean that much to you? Did you miss being in charge?"

Yagi bent down and forcibly turned Ichigo over onto his back with one hand.

"Or was it that they granted you the power again because they had need of you? You're just a tool to them."

Ichigo shook his head. "You're wrong."

"Am I? You never went looking for them. You never searched for the power once it was taken from you. You accepted it. You never begged. You were willing to give up this power in order to win the battle. Therefore, it must have not meant that much to you to give it up so easily."

Ichigo grit his teeth. "You're wrong!"

Bending his knees, Ichigo kicked Yagi with both legs. As Yagi staggered back, Ichigo crawled backwards then stood up.

"No, you're wrong. It wasn't like that. It's not like that!" Ichigo forced himself to stand despite his shaking legs. "It wasn't that I didn't care about the power I was giving up. I did care. But I cared about my friends more. That's why I was willing to sacrifice something important to me."

The power allowed him to protect others. It wasn't the power itself that mattered to him. It was what it allowed him to do. It was a way in which he could protect others. If he had no one to protect, the power was meaningless to him. He had this power to protect others. That was why he gave it up. He gave it up for them.

"Don't you understand the meaning of sacrifice? True sacrifice?"

Yagi used and sacrificed others but never himself. His parents sacrificed themselves for him. One of his allies sacrificed himself to save him. Despite all this, Yagi was still ignorant of its meaning. The significance was lost to him.

"And I did care. I did." Ichigo finally spoke what was hidden in his heart for so long. Something he never wanted to confess aloud to anyone. Not even to himself. "I admit... losing my Soul Reaper powers was devastating."

It truly was devastating and one of the hardest things Ichigo ever had to do. It mattered to him but wouldn't admit it to himself because that would confirm that it was really over. Since there was no changing what had been put in to motion, why bother dwelling on it? It would only make the pain worse.

The people he had lost in the past when he was too weak to do anything about it still left him feeling guilty. He still felt he could have done something to save them, but another part knew that there was nothing he could have done. If he had more power, then he could have done something. That was why he became a Soul Reaper. Not to do a certain job and abide by their rules, not to serve the Soul Society, not for the power itself, not even for glory. He did it to protect.

Once it was gone...

Being in a weakened state and having people come rescue him brought back those feelings of helplessness. He didn't want his friends to get hurt while trying to protect him. He wanted to be the protector, not the one who needed protection. The protector was the one who normally sacrificed themselves in order to save someone else. If that was no longer his role, then that meant one of them would be sacrificing themselves for him. He didn't want to lose anyone else. He had already lost his mother while she tried to protect him. He didn't want to be the blame of someone's demise. Not again. He wouldn't forgive himself.

It was for this reason he did not want to be weak. He didn't want to lose anyone else.

"Don't you get it, Yagi? The reason I gave up my powers was to save my friends and countless others. That's how much I care about other people. That I'm willing to sacrifice something that means so much to me for their sake. So I don't have to lose anyone else. So no one has to lose someone they love."

In his mind, Ichigo heard his friends' voices.

 _"I told you not to come. I didn't ask for you to save me."_

 _"Don't die, Ichigo! Please. I couldn't bear it."_

 _"I don't want anyone to leave me. I'd hate to be alone."_

 _"We love her more than anything. She is our reason to exist."_

 _"I would do anything for her. Bringing tears to her eyes was never my intention, and it pains me to know I was the cause. I love her so much. I would never want to cause her pain."_

 _"I want to live. Why aren't I allowed that?"_

 _"It's my fault."_

 _"What can I do for her now?"_

Then he felt his mother's warm embrace and heard her gentle voice speak his name.

Ichigo stared into Yagi's eyes and pointed his sword at his chest.

"Yagi... You wouldn't understand any of that because you never self-sacrifice. You sacrifice others instead. You wouldn't begin to understand where I'm coming from."

Yagi looked irritated. "Then why do you waste your breath?"

Ichigo sighed. "I guess I just hoped I could get through to you. But I guess there's no point. You can't be reasoned with. You will never understand."

"Then don't waste your words." Yagi raised his bow.

Ichigo ducked as Yagi fired a single arrow past his head.

"If I cannot use you, then you are worthless to me. I see no point in keeping you alive. Not that it matters. You're going to die anyway."

Ichigo dove to the side and somersaulted into a crouching position as Yagi's arrows flew. Yagi turned his body without pausing the barrage, chasing Ichigo across the field. Ichigo ran backwards as the arrows struck the ground near his feet. He stumbled during his retreat. As he fell, he blocked the arrows with his sword. He looked from left to right for an escape route but there was nothing in this open field. No rocks to hide behind and nothing he could use for a weapon other than what he had in his hand.

Ichigo swung wide, eliminating the arrows and sending a gust of wind towards Yagi at the same time. Yagi vanished and reappeared to Ichigo's right. Ichigo swung again but this time the weight of his sword felt to be too much for him to handle and his body tipped sideways.

He could always lift his sword with relative ease but now it was too heavy for him to swing one-handed.

He really was getting weaker.

"Don't bother," said Yagi. "It's a miracle you've lasted this long. But if you want to rush to your grave, that's fine."

Ichigo spun his body in a full circle, sword in hand. The tip of his sword never reached Yagi but the danger was enough to make the Quincy flee.

Feeling dizzy, Ichigo stopped spinning and stood still to get his barrings. He wanted to lie down but knew if he did he would never get up again.

"Ahh!" Ichigo fell forward as Yagi punched him from behind.

On his hands and knees, Ichigo turned back to see Yagi aiming another arrow at his head.

"Do not test me."

Ichigo knew he would fire no matter what he did, so Ichigo chose to attack. He sprang to his feet and swung his sword like a baseball bat. Yagi blocked with the handle of his Seele Schneider and pushed Ichigo back. Ichigo stumbled and swung again. This time when Yagi pushed him away, Ichigo grabbed the front of Yagi's jacket to take Yagi with him. Yagi fell on top of Ichigo and they both rolled through the field.

Ichigo sat on top of Yagi and punched him in the face. Yagi rolled so he was on top and returned the attack. Ichigo tried to roll but he couldn't get Yagi off him. He was stuck.

Yagi punched him a second time and Ichigo spat blood. When Yagi prepared to punch a third time, Ichigo's arm shot up, still clutching the sword, and cut into Yagi's left arm.

"Augh!" Yagi fled, covering the wound with his right hand. There wasn't enough strength behind the attack to sever his arm but it was enough to make him retreat.

Ichigo lay on his back and wondered what happened. He never chose to do that.

 _"Your move, King,"_ said a familiar voice in his head.

Taking control of Ichigo's arm and nothing else, he chose to defend the young Soul Reaper.

Even more impressive, for once, Ichigo didn't complain.

"Thanks for the help." Ichigo struggled to his feet and prepared to finish what his Hollow started and cut off Yagi's arm completely.

Running with his sword parallel to the ground, Ichigo took a wide swing at Yagi's left arm.

Yagi took his hand away from his arm to reach inside his jacket. He pulled out a small bottle and threw it in Ichigo's path. The bottle shattered on the ground and an explosion sent Ichigo into the air.

The blast carried Ichigo far from Yagi and into the dirt. He landed on his back and the sword flew from his hand. His whole body ached. Each time he attempted to get up, the pain would cause him to stop and lay back down.

Yagi approached. Ichigo had to move. Despite the pain, Ichigo managed to get up. He found his sword and picked it up to block Yagi's arrows. He started to run. Yagi was too close and he was in too much pain for an attack. His legs ordered him to run for it.

"You cannot hide from me!" Yagi shouted. "Even if you do manage to get away, you'll become a Hollow again once you've been successfully tired out! You'll change and there will be nothing you can do about it!"

Was that his plan? Was Yagi only fighting him so he would change into a Hollow? It was never about killing him. Yagi wanted him to change. That's what all this was about.

Ichigo stopped running and turned around for an attack. "Getsuga-"

His legs wobbled and threatened to collapse under him. Ichigo feared using the attack when he was so unsteady. He had already used it twice, knowing it would weaken him. Using it a third time might drain even more of his energy with no guarantee of hitting his target.

He had to save it for another time.

Ichigo ran again. Yagi chased him. Their speed was perfectly matched. As long as Ichigo kept moving, Yagi would be out of range.

Something on the horizon made Ichigo stop in his tracks.

A town.

To anyone in this situation, a town would be a most fortuitous sight, but for Ichigo it was terrifying.

A town offered protection in many ways. There were plenty of buildings to hide behind or inside of and there were lots of people so he could easily hide in a crowd. There was also strength in numbers. The people of this town may offer to help shelter him from his attacker or even invest in the fight themselves.

However, people was exactly the problem. Ichigo wanted to avoid people. Getting near a populated area was very dangerous in his state. If he became a Hollow again, they would all be in danger. Even if that wasn't an issue, bringing any sort of fight into a crowded town was dangerous to the people. Ichigo didn't want to risk anyone getting hurt. Either by a stray shot or a deliberate attack.

A powerful blow landed in the middle of Ichigo's spine and sent him forward. Yagi had delivered a flying kick to Ichigo's back while he was distracted. Ichigo fell forward and Yagi got on top of him. He grabbed Ichigo by the hair and proceeded to punch him over and over in the face.

"Filthy... Disgusting... Soul Reaper!"

"Aurgh!" It hurt so much. Of only he could get up. Yagi was too heavy. Ichigo didn't have the strength.

"Think you can run from me? You think I won't win? I have been planning this for a long time. You have no idea what you're getting into. What you've been involved in from the beginning. Ever since we first met in that disgusting little hovel you Soul Reapers call home."

The punches finally stopped and Yagi threw Ichigo's face into the dirt.

Ichigo lay wheezing on the ground.

Yagi got off him. "Fighting will only kill you faster. Either by tiring you out or-"

Ichigo jumped to his feet and started running again. He was heading right for the town but he planned to turn away once he got some distance between himself and Yagi. He was not going to involve the innocent.

Yagi drew his bow and fired arrows in Ichigo's path, guiding him towards the town. Now that he saw the place Ichigo was trying to avoid, Yagi wanted him to go there.

Ichigo refused to be corralled. Even with the arrows flying around his body, he refused to go in that direction. He knew what Yagi was trying to do.

"Enough is enough, boy."

Yagi grabbed the back of Ichigo's clothes and threw him towards the town. Ichigo tried to run the opposite way but Yagi dragged Ichigo closer. Ichigo dug his fingers into the dirt. Yagi pulled. Ichigo used his heels to help him remain in one place, but it was no use. Yagi was just too strong.

Before long, Ichigo got fed up with this method and took a swing at Yagi with his sword. Yagi ducked and Ichigo grabbed his legs, tripping him. Yagi went down and Ichigo tried to decapitate him. Yagi kicked the sword from Ichigo's hands and sent it flying.

"I told you to give up!" Yagi punched him.

Ichigo punched him back and climbed on top of Yagi's chest, pinning him down. The two exchanged blows until Yagi grabbed Ichigo's wrist and threw him off.

Yagi reached into his jacket and took out another weapon. "Whether I drag you there or throw you there... Either way, you're going where I say."

Ichigo looked around for his sword. He found it laying in the direction of the town but as long as he picked it up quickly, he could take it and run the other way.

Ichigo wrapped his fingers around the sword, turning in time to see another bottle shatter against his blade.

This blast took Ichigo high into the air and into the side of a building.

He was at the town.

"No." Ichigo started to run. He felt a hand on the back of his neck. "No!"

He was thrown into the town by Yagi who refused to let him escape. Ichigo got up and tried to run out of the town but Yagi forced him back into the street with a single kick.

"Enough running, boy. You won't get anywhere."

 _"I hate to say it, but he's right, King. No matter how many times you get back up, as long as he's around, he can stop you."_

Ichigo picked himself up and knelt on the ground. "You're right. If I don't stop him, there's no way I can get out of here. Every time I run, he's just going to follow me and do something about it. If I stop him, then he won't be able to come after me."

He had no choice. He had to fight.

Ichigo grabbed his sword and swung. Yagi blocked with his Seele Schneider. Ichigo was on his feet and rushed at Yagi, sword clutched in both hands. Their weapons clashed. Ichigo pulled away and aimed for Yagi's left arm. Yagi turned his body to the side and kicked Ichigo further down the street.

He rolled into a food cart and bruised fruit rained down on his head. Before the owner of the stand could yell at him, he ran from the Quincy's arrows. Ichigo crawled under the cart and pushed it over, using it for cover. Then he kicked it towards Yagi and jumped up.

Yagi stopped the wooden stand with his foot and blocked Ichigo's attack from above. Throwing his arm to the side, he redirected Ichigo's attack, forcing Ichigo's whole body to the side. Ichigo's back slammed into another building. As Yagi closed in, Ichigo kicked Yagi in the stomach to keep him at a distance and picked up his sword.

Their attacks collided like before. No matter how he swung, Ichigo's blade could not cut Yagi. However, Yagi's weapon did not reach Ichigo either. They were at a stalemate.

They each tried numerous times to land a blow on the other but they were too equally matched at this point.

Then Yagi broke through and kicked Ichigo away from him. Ichigo's heels dug into the earth, gouging two deep skids in the dry soil.

Ichigo raised his head but felt dizzy. He wasn't able to block Yagi's next attack. Ichigo was sent further back and he fell to one knee.

"What's going on? Am I really that worn already? I've only been fighting a couple minutes."

That's when he realized his white doppelganger had grown silent.

"Hey... Can you hear me? Say something."

His white clone did not answer.

"Damn!" Ichigo looked up and saw Yagi rushing at him in a frontal attack.

Summoning up as much energy as he could, Ichigo flashed away to the other side of the street. Yagi turned his body and fired a barrage of arrows at him. Ichigo attempted to flash-step again but it didn't go as smoothly as the first time. Ichigo found himself in the air high above the buildings rather than on a nearby rooftop as he wished.

Unable to keep himself in the air, Ichigo dropped straight down. He landed on a rooftop and tumbled end over end down the hard shingles. He tried to stop himself but he was rolling too fast and went over the edge. Ichigo reached out desperately and grabbed onto the gutter with his left hand, his right still clutching his sword.

Dangling, Ichigo looked down to see if he could land safely from here. It was a three story drop but Ichigo thought he could make it with minimal injury. He relaxed his grip and dropped straight down onto a pile of trash propped against the side of the building. The garbage managed to soften his landing a little but his body was aching just the same. Ichigo pushed himself out of the pile and staggered into the street.

"Ah..."

His vision started to grow blurry. The buildings began to tip sideways.

Ichigo put out an arm to catch himself. He was weaker than he thought. He had almost passed out in the middle of the street. Ichigo struggled to focus his energy and stay conscious.

"Looking tired, Ichigo."

He pushing himself onto his feet and faced Yagi.

"I mean it. You look exhausted."

Ichigo hated to admit it but Yagi was right. It was so obvious, there was no point in trying to hide it. His limbs were shaking and Yagi's image kept sliding in and out of focus.

Yagi seemed a lot calmer compared to a few minutes ago. Even he could see that he was at a distinct advantage. Ichigo had managed to do this well so far only because he was taking advantage of Yagi's emotional state. Now the odds were no longer in his favor.

He had to finish this fight quickly. The longer the battle stretched, the greater Yagi's edge became.

Crying out, Ichigo swung his sword, unleashing a powerful gust. Yagi jumped aside and fired a single arrow. Ichigo blocked with his sword and stepped sideways. As Yagi readied his bow, Ichigo swung a second time. This swing didn't have as much energy behind it as the last one but it was enough to stop Yagi's attack.

Ichigo's eyes fell on Yagi's Seele Schneider. Yagi was using it as a sword to block Ichigo's Zanpakuto but it wasn't a sword at all. Quincies typically didn't use swords, therefore Yagi should have been a novice at sword-fighting. With that in mind, Ichigo formed an idea. He decided to treat the Quincy weapon as a sword which would force Yagi to use it as one. As long as Ichigo remained close to Yagi, he would not be able to use his arrows.

Ichigo ran forward and swung his sword down on Yagi. Yagi blocked the overhead swing with his weapon. Ichigo stepped closer and pressed down with both hands. Yagi's knees began to bend. His plan was working. Yagi wasn't a gifted sword-fighter at all. It was all he could do to block Ichigo's swing.

Yagi's image began to blur.

"Not again..!" Ichigo shut his eyes for a brief moment, which was a terrible mistake.

Yagi pushed Ichigo's sword aside and kicked Ichigo in the stomach.

"Closing your eyes during a fight is suicide, boy. Are you that ready to die?"

Ichigo swung and the power of his swing sent Yagi flying. He didn't sail far but it was enough. Ichigo looked around and ran into a narrow alleyway. He crouched in the shadows and waited.

He knew he didn't have enough strength to fight Yagi as he was, but he refused to run away, knowing he had to beat him. Rather than using a frontal attack, Ichigo's only hope was to be sneaky and strike when Yagi couldn't see him. Ichigo would much rather have his enemy see an attack coming, but he was desperate. He wasn't going to attack when Yagi couldn't strike back, but hiding in the shadows with a surprise attack was something he was willing to do. It wasn't as cowardly.

Not that it mattered against an opponent like him. Yagi stooped to all kinds of cowardly measures when he fought. To most people, using the same methods against him was every bit fair, but Ichigo didn't want to resort to that. The didn't want to stoop to his level by adopting one of his methods. He had his pride.

"Don't make me demolish these buildings so I can find you, Ichigo."

Ichigo lay hidden in the alley, waiting.

"Where are you?"

Ichigo raised his weapon and waited, eyes front.

He saw Yagi's shadow. He was coming closer.

Yagi stepped into view, his head turned the other way. He looked forward. Then he looked into the alley.

That's when he swung.

"Ahh!" Yagi was thrown backwards by the strength of his swing.

Ichigo Jumped from the alley and swung again. Yagi ducked and Ichigo's blade cut into the side of the building. He pulled his sword free and spun, swinging the sword with him. Yagi ducked again and kicked Ichigo's legs out from under him. As Ichigo lay on his back, Yagi readied an arrow. He pointed it at Ichigo's skull. Ichigo rolled towards Yagi rather than away and tried to throw him off balance by slamming into his legs.

It worked. Yagi's arrow went into the ground and his body landed on top of Ichigo's. Ichigo wrapped his arms and legs around Yagi's body and held him. Yagi tried to force Ichigo off but his grip was too strong. Holding tight to Yagi, Ichigo raised his left arm and started punching him in the neck and shoulder. Yagi grunted with every blow. Ichigo wouldn't stop. He let his anger fuel his attack and kept punching.

"Knock it off!"

Yagi rolled to the side and slammed Ichigo into the side of the building. Yagi slammed Ichigo repeatedly until his grip went slack. Yagi pushed Ichigo off his body and stood up. As he turned to fire an arrow, Ichigo threw himself into Yagi's stomach, tackling him.

"Do you ever give up?" Yagi backhanded Ichigo across the face. Ichigo retaliated by headbutting him. As yagi staggered back, Ichigo picked up his sword and swung.

His swing was too wide. He missed Yagi by several inches and the power of his swing sent Ichigo staggering to the side.

"Pathetic." Yagi picked up a barrel and threw it at Ichigo.

He tried blocking it with his arm but the barrel forced him down. Ichigo scrambled to his feet and charged at Yagi as he reached for another barrel. He threw his body into Yagi's and threw him over the barrel. Yagi rolled and stood up, ready to fire an arrow. Ichigo slammed into him again and the arrow vanished before it could be released.

Yagi grabbed Ichigo by the hair and tried to pull him off. Ichigo punched Yagi in the gut.

A scream rang out and Yagi clubbed Ichigo over the head with his fist. Ichigo had unwittingly hit Yagi in the wound Veneno inflected during their battle. The pain was enough to bring a scream from Yagi's throat and power to his punches.

Forced apart, Ichigo and Yagi backed away from each other. Yagi pressed a hand to his side which had started bleeding again. Ichigo had reopened the wound.

"He's injured..." Ichigo had no idea what had caused the wound but it meant that Yagi wasn't at his best. Any injury weakened an opponent, but that wasn't the only bit of good news. It also meant that Yagi wasn't as untouchable as he made himself out to be. He could be wounded. It was possible.

Ichigo knew Yagi wasn't invincible. Of course he wasn't, but he was very difficult to injure. Seeing an open wound near a vital area gave Ichigo hope. Yagi's arm was also injured. That wound along with the wound in his gut would weaken him a great deal. With Ichigo in an already weakened state, this would bring Yagi down a notch to where it was more likely for Ichigo to be able to fight him. If Yagi was not injured, there would have been no hope. Ichigo would be too weak to do anything. Yagi at his full strength against Ichigo as he was now wasn't a fight. It was a massacre. With Yagi being injured- Now it was a fight.

"I have a chance..." Ichigo raised his sword. "We're almost on equal ground now. He's hurt, I'm hurt. Now it's a fair fight."

Overhearing Ichigo's muttering, Yagi turned. "Between the two of us, who's in a weaker state here, hm?"

Ichigo was still on the losing side, but that didn't matter to him. As long as Yagi wasn't at full strength, he still called this a fair fight by comparison.

Ichigo swung and Yagi fled.

"Get back here!"

He was running away. Yagi must have known he stood a chance at losing this fight so he was running away. He feared losing. If he lost, he would die.

The fact that Yagi was running from him told Ichigo that he actually stood a chance at winning this battle.

Ichigo pursued him. He couldn't let Yagi get away when he was this close.

Yagi looked over his shoulder and saw Ichigo right behind him. Yagi made a sharp turn into another street and Ichigo followed.

The street they turned into was packed with people. Venders and families alike were crowded in this street.

Yagi's plan was to lose Ichigo in the crowd. To make matters worse, Ichigo was reluctant to attack out of fear of hitting an innocent bystander.

The only thing he could do was chase him.

Yagi shoved people out of his way, knocking down women and children who were too slow to respond. Yagi tipped over one of the carts to block Ichigo's path but it wasn't enough to slow him down. Ichigo jumped over the cart and kept running.

As he ran passed a vender, Ichigo picked up a ceramic bowl and threw it at the back of Yagi's head. It smashed into pieces, slowing him down, but only for a moment.

Yagi weaved through the crowd. By this time, the people were vacating the street, backing against buildings to give Yagi room. Yagi grabbed a woman by the hair and threw her at Ichigo. Ichigo turned his sword around and caught the woman in the chest. When he looked up, Yagi had escaped further down the street.

After making sure the woman was unharmed, he chased after Yagi. He grabbed the lid off a barrel and threw it like a Frisbee, nailing Yagi in the back. Yagi spun around and swung his Seele Schneider at him. Ichigo jumped back to avoid it, then swung his sword. Yagi slashed and so did Ichigo. Yagi wielded his weapon with one hand while Ichigo used two. Yagi backed away as he swung. Ichigo stepped forward, making sure there was no gap between them.

"Ahh!" Yagi pulled back, blood running down his hand. Ichigo's sword finally landed a hit.

Ichigo swung again, but Yagi blocked. He backed up and Ichigo stepped forward. He wouldn't give him an inch.

Ichigo raised his sword high, taking a large step forward.

Thinking fast, Yagi reached into the crowd and ripped a small child from his mother. He held the child in front of his chest, using him as a shield.

Ichigo's sword hung in the air.

Yagi smirked.

"My boy!" the mother was screaming for her child's life. "Please, no!"

"Swing your blade!" Yagi ordered.

Ichigo remained as he was.

"You have a chance to kill me, so swing!"

Ichigo grit his teeth. If he swung, it would all be over.

But at the cost of an innocent life? It wasn't worth it.

"I knew you were weak," Yagi snarled and threw the child at Ichigo.

Ichigo dropped his sword and caught the boy with both hands at the same time Yagi turned and ran.

"Coward!" Ichigo called after him.

He handed the crying child back to his mother and picked up his sword. He chased after Yagi who had a new plan in mind. Yagi was going to exploit Ichigo's kind heart and use it to his full advantage.

Ichigo huffed, trying to catch his breath. He was already winded. He begged his body to hold out just a little longer.

Yagi stopped in the middle of the street and grabbed someone else. Another woman. He held her to his chest and turned to face Ichigo. There was no way Ichigo could attack without endangering the woman.

Yagi was smirking again. "You have your chance, but you won't, will you?"

Ichigo stood frozen.

"Mom!"

His attention went to a little girl. She was trying to reach the woman Yagi had captive but was held back by an adult.

The sight pained Ichigo but was of no concern to Yagi. He didn't seem to notice the child's cries.

"Go on." Yagi was goading him. "Do it."

He would not orphan a child. He would not take any someone's mother. He knew that pain all too well.

"Listen to me, Yagi." Ichigo had to use other methods. "Don't you see what you're doing? If you kill that woman, you'll be doing what those Hollows did to your mother. She's not involved in this so let her go. Endangering someone's mother in beneath you. Let her go."

Yagi chuckled. "You will be the one to kill her, not me. It will be your fault."

"I'm not going to swing."

"I know."

"Hiding behind her is cowardly."

He chuckled again. "As long as I'm alive, I don't care. That's the problem with all those people you've defeated in the past. They all have their pride. That was their downfall. Even Aizen. Once you cast that aside, you have a decent chance at winning. Pride gets in the way. I have pride, too, but I chose not to let it call the shots."

As Yagi spoke, his grip on the woman started to weaken slightly. It wasn't enough for her to escape, but if he kept talking, it was possible in the near future.

"Pride makes them attack the enemy themselves. Their pride stops them from running away and doing the sensible thing. To not use certain methods, even though it will give them an edge. I may be a proud Quincy, but I am not above using others to get my way. Even using their methods. As long as I win, I don't care."

"So that's why you're using me?" asked Ichigo. "You don't want to be in danger, so you're using other people in your place. That way, you won't be a casualty. Then you'll swoop in and bask in the glory. Especially if you deliver the final blow. It doesn't matter who did what. You just don't want to be in danger and you want to win. You just don't care how."

"I don't believe in playing fair," said Yagi. "To me, anything is fair. Even using others. I use people in a number of ways. Whether it be telling them what they want to hear so they come over to my side, or appealing to their good nature in order to lure them into a trap. It does not matter to me."

"I can tell." Ichigo looked at the woman. She had stopped struggling so Yagi wasn't holding her as tight as he had been. Now was his chance. "Run!"

The woman pushed Yagi's arm down and tried to run. He grabbed her wrist and tried to pull her back but Ichigo was too quick this time. Before he could use her as a shield, Ichigo swung his blade downward. Yagi released the woman and flashed away.

"Dammit, not again." Ichigo looked around and found Yagi on the roof. He jumped down, firing arrows as he fell. Ichigo could block the arrows but not Yagi's body. Yagi slammed into Ichigo from above with both feet and plowed him into the ground. Ichigo pushed him off and swung a leg out to trip him. Yagi jumped and stepped on Ichigo's ankle. "Ahh!"

"Anything to win, boy. You want to save them and are willing to do anything to achieve that, but you don't really mean it. If you did, you would have cut through that woman and into me."

"A Quincy should have honor, right? So you should understand why I wouldn't."

"Who cares as long as I win-"

Ichigo swung his sword as he lay on his back. The tip of his Zanpakuto cut the hem of Yagi's pant leg but missed his flesh. Ichigo spun until he was in a crouching position and swung again. This time, Yagi fled. Ichigo stood shakily and tried to run after him.

He stumbled and leaned against a table for balance. It was getting harder to get up each time he went down. He had to make sure Yagi couldn't escape this time.

Yagi looked over his shoulder as he ran. Ichigo was gaining on him. He looked around but the people in the area had gotten smart. They had vacated the area and hid in their homes and establishments so he wouldn't use them as hostages.

Without stopping his run, Yagi turned and a volley of arrows greeted Ichigo. He weaved between arrows and swung his sword. The gust blew Yagi off his feet and into the ground.

He lifted himself up with both hands. He spotted someone trying to run inside a building and attempted to use them as a hostage.

As he reached for the potential hostage, Yagi felt a sharp pain in his back. Ichigo had thrown a knife he grabbed from a nearby stand into Yagi's back. Before Yagi could pull it out, Ichigo took a flying leap at him and pressed his foot against the knife's handle. The momentum drove it in deeper.

Yagi shrieked.

Ichigo crouched over Yagi's body and wrapped his left hand around the handle of the blade. At the same time, Yagi rolled. This action caused the handle to snap from the blade, leaving it in Yagi's back and the handle in Ichigo's hand.

Yagi fired a single arrow past Ichigo's head. The arrow took several strands of orange hair with it, coming dangerously close this time.

Yagi grabbed Ichigo's arm and pulled him down. Yagi then rolled on top of Ichigo's back and pressed him into the dirt. Ichigo could hardly breath under Yagi's weight. His chest already felt like it was being crushed.

"You miserable piece of filth." Yagi pressed Ichigo's face into the ground. "How long do you plan to keep this up?"

Ichigo's fingers dug into the dirt as he tried to crawl away but his body couldn't move. Yagi was holding him in place. There was no escape. Instead, he clawed at the dirt, hoping to throw the dry soil into Yagi's eyes.

The more Ichigo wriggled, the harder it was for Yagi to hold him down. At last, Ichigo rolled onto his back and kicked Yagi in the face. Yagi forced Ichigo's leg down with both hands. Ichigo leaned forward and punched him. Yagi was knocked backwards by the blow. Ichigo turned and crawled on his hands and knees, reaching for a rock he found on the ground. His arms gave out under his weight and he slumped onto his chest, panting.

Then his body was picked up and slammed against the side of a building. Yagi pulled Ichigo back and slammed him again. On the third, Yagi smashed Ichigo's face through the window. The people inside the building shrieked and backed away from the shattered glass. He pulled Ichigo back and held him by his hair.

Blood oozed from Ichigo's forehead and nose.

"Why the hell would you put yourself through this?" Yagi grabbed Ichigo's throat with his other hand and forcibly directed his head. "For them?"

Ichigo's wavering vision beheld the frightened people inside the building. They trembled, holding each other. Parents shushed their crying children and husbands comforted their wives.

"They're so weak. Why bother? Behavior like that..." Yagi scoffed. "They are pathetic."

Ichigo responded with wheezes.

"With all your power, you're no better." Yagi threw Ichigo to the ground. "You have no business protecting such creatures. You do not know them anyway. You think I would lift a finger to protect a complete stranger? Why would I risk my life for someone I don't know? I wouldn't waste my time."

Ichigo picked himself up slowly. "The boy..."

"Hm?"

"The boy you picked up before. You heard his mother crying out for him. He was important to her. She knew him. While that boy meant nothing to you, he meant something to her. That's why it's important. Same thing with that woman and the girl who cried out for her. They loved each other. So it's important."

"So what's your point?" asked Yagi. "They still mean nothing to me. Maybe you would help them but I wouldn't."

Ichigo lifted his head, blood dripping from his mouth and nose. "What if it was you? What if there was someone able to help you out that day but they refused because they didn't know you? How would you feel? Wouldn't you have wanted someone to save your family?"

Ichigo was making a comparison between the Hollows and Yagi. Yagi's parents to those he took hostage.

Yagi scoffed. "I still don't care. Don't you get it? Of course I'm bitter about what happened to my parents, but I realize that they were stupid to risk themselves for someone else. If they made such a decision, maybe they got what they deserved. You wouldn't catch me doing that. Even if they did, I wouldn't. It's still the Soul Reapers' fault anyway. I thought I made it clear that you would not sway me. Why are you still trying?"

"Just thought maybe I could make you see..." Ichigo spat blood. "Guess I was wrong."

"Now you're finally getting-"

Ichigo cut him off with a swing of his sword. Yagi flashed away and appeared behind Ichigo. Before he could open his mouth, Ichigo attacked. He swung, cutting the sleeve of Yagi's jacket. He swung again and blood began to flow from Yagi's chest. It wasn't a lot but it was something.

Yagi threw something at Ichigo. Ichigo ducked and tackled Yagi with all his strength. They both flew down the street and into a wagon. They tumbled over each other and back to their feet. Ichigo grabbed the hem of Yagi's jacket to keep him from getting away, but Yagi cut the fabric with a broken piece of pottery. As he ran, Ichigo slammed into him from behind and the two rolled over each other.

Yagi flashed away with Ichigo still attached to his waist.

Their bodied hit the ground and they were rolling again. Ichigo picked up his sword and cut into Yagi's wounded arm, just below the first gash. They forced themselves apart and stood to face each other.

They were both battered and bruised and bleeding. They were both out of breath but unwilling to lose.

Ichigo's vision became blurry and his limbs felt heavy. As he lifted his sword to strike, he found that he could no longer lift it above his head. He felt sluggish.

Yagi observed Ichigo's deteriorating state and smirked. "You don't have long."

Ichigo ran forward and swung at Yagi's neck. Yagi vanished and Ichigo's sword cut into a tree trunk instead.

He looked around. They were no longer in the town. The town was to to the left of where Ichigo stood. When Yagi flashed away, he must have overshot it and took Ichigo further out than he intended.

To Ichigo, this was good news. It meant Yagi could no longer hide behind others. However, they weren't far enough from it in case Ichigo became a Hollow again. The town was still in sight.

Feeling dizzy, Ichigo leaned against his sword. His vision blurred again.

He could rest later. He had to fight now. These were all signs that he didn't have long. He had to fight.

Ichigo wrenched his sword out of the tree and swung it at Yagi. The tip hit the ground inches from where Yagi stood. He missed.

Ichigo stepped forward to brace himself as he pulled his sword back up. As soon as he planted his foot on the ground and moved to lift his sword, he heard a cracking sound. Ignoring it, Ichigo hoisted his sword high and ran to Yagi. On his second step, he heard a loud snap and fell to his knees.

He looked back at his legs and discovered the problem. His left ankle had snapped. His body was so brittle, it was starting to break under him.

Yagi took in a deep breath and let out a satisfied sigh. "I knew it was only a matter of time."

Ichigo knew what he was going to say before he said it.

"You're out of time, Ichigo Kurosaki."

* * *

Please review! ^-^


	39. Chapter 39

**Chapter 39:**

He had run out of time. Ichigo's body was starting to break under him. His bones alone were very brittle.

How could he win if he couldn't stand?

Yagi started laughing. "I knew it. I knew you could never-"

"Raugh!" Ichigo picked up his sword and swung.

Yagi jumped back, amazed to see Ichigo on his feet.

"How can he..?"

"Aurgh!" Ichigo fell, clutching his broken ankle. Standing on it was a bad idea. Putting pressure on it as he ran was even worse.

Yagi stood where he was, watching. He wasn't sure what Ichigo would do next. This teenager was full of surprises. He shouldn't have been able to stand, let alone rush at him with a sword as large as that.

"Where is he drawing this power from?"

Ichigo struggled up again. He stood, putting most of his weight on the other ankle. He hoisted his sword onto his shoulder and got ready to swing. His back was aching. His shoulders were in so much pain.

He swung, missing.

"Don't you know when to give up? This has gone on long enough. Just stop it already."

Ichigo jumped rather than run to close the gap between them. He swung his sword downward and Yagi blocked with his weapon. The Seele Schneider cracked and shattered in Yagi's hand. Yagi patted his belt with both hands, frantically searching for a replacement. Unable to find one on his belt, he reached inside his jacket and pulled out his last Seele Schneider. If Ichigo broke this one, he was out of luck.

"Ahh!" Ichigo sliced Yagi across the chest, cutting open his jacket.

For a brief moment, the lining of Yagi's jacket was revealed. The inner lining of his clothes were filled with pockets stuffed with different Quincy tools. He even had bottles and flasks stitched into the fabric so he wouldn't have to fumble through pockets for what he needed. Most of those tools had already been spent, leaving empty spots beside pockets which weren't as full as they had been before. Yagi was starting to run out of tools.

Ichigo aimed for the pockets in an attempt to eliminate all of Yagi's remaining tools and weapons. The tip of his sword sliced open one pocket and the contents spilled onto the ground.

"No!"

Flasks shattered, causing small explosions. Others smoked and oozed strange colored liquid. Yagi backed away from the mess, not wanting to get too close. Ichigo swung again and cut off the remains of Yagi's torn sleeve. He didn't manage to get any weapons this time.

He swung again and Yagi blocked. Their weapons clashed repeatedly. Ichigo was closing in. Yagi was in retreat. He backed away like before while Ichigo stepped closer, advancing.

Each swing was painful but Ichigo ignored it.

Until...

"Ahh!" Ichigo's sword hit the ground. He gripped his shoulders tightly as if to keep something from leaping out of him. "No. Not now... No!"

His flesh was being covered by a white shell. Ichigo started to rip off the white shell with his hands but as quickly as he ripped it off, more took its place. His hands were covered in white claws, growing larger by the second.

"Stop!" Ichigo begged his body. "No, don't! No! Not yet! Not yet!"

The transformation continued without mercy. His body could no longer hold it off. Though Ichigo was still conscious, he could do nothing about it.

"About time," said Yagi. "Took long enough, I have to say."

Ichigo reached for Yagi's throat with his mutating hand but his legs gave out under him.

His body couldn't keep up with his demands. It couldn't hold out anymore.

Ichigo's vision started to blur. As hard as he tried fighting it, his body could no longer listen. He couldn't stop the transformation from taking place.

A mask slowly encroached over Ichigo's pale, bloody face.

His body was heavy and in pain.

Yagi's image started to blur and fade to black.

He had one chance to defeat him. One last chance to fight.

He would not have another.

This was the final time.

He knew it. He knew he would not be coming back from this transformation. This was the last time.

Yagi's face disappeared as the mask formed over his face, casting him in darkness.

"This is how you die."

* * *

"Do you feel that?"

"Over there." Soi Fon pointed in the direction of the massive burst of Spiritual Pressure. "That has to be him. Let's move."

The Captains were reluctant but responded anyway. As regrettable as it was, they had a job to do.

* * *

"What's that?" Linnette asked, pointing.

Everyone turned in the direction of the blast. There was light and smoke and wind, all coming from a single location.

And a roar.

"Ichigo!" Veneno turned and ran, following the Hollow's cry.

"Veneno! Wait!"

The group chased after him.

Veneno didn't wait for them. As a Hollow himself, he understood that sound. It wasn't a sound of fury. It was a sound of pain.

It was the sound of a Hollow not long for this world.

Veneno hurried as fast as he could, not knowing what he could do but wanting to reach Ichigo at any cost.

He had to see him. He had to be with him. Just as Ichigo was with him through the pain, Veneno should be by his side to do the same.

"Ichigo!"

* * *

Yagi turned his head from the struggling Ichigo to the horizon, sensing something.

"Hm." He smirked. "It would seem they've sensed your presence. Those Soul Reapers are being drawn by your Spiritual Pressure. Oh. And it would appear to be Captains. How lucky are we?"

By this time, there was no trace of Ichigo left. His entire body had Hollowfied but his limbs were shivering with reluctance. A small part of Ichigo was still fighting.

"This saves us the trouble of going to them. They've come to you instead." Yagi turned back to face Ichigo. "Whatever happens next will play out according to my desires. They will either kill you, thus putting you out of your misery and my hair... Or, you will kill them shortly before the poison finishes you off. Either way, I get what I want."

Yagi knew all along that Ichigo was too powerful for him to handle on his own which was why he wanted the Soul Reapers to kill him in his stead. That way, they would be at risk and not him. If there were any casualties, which was very likely, it would not be Yagi. The Soul Reapers he deemed his enemy would be slaughtered by Ichigo while he watched from a safe distance.

"And from the feel of things, they're in a weakened state. My subordinates must have given them a run for their money. Either that, or they still haven't recovered from our last encounter. But with them being weaker than before means that you should have no problem killing at least one of them. Even if you don't, you'll still put up a good fight. One which should undoubtedly weaken them further so I should have no problem finishing them off myself."

Sensing them approach, Yagi quickly bid Ichigo farewell and fled the area.

* * *

"There he is."

The Captains stopped and stared at Ichigo's fully Hollowfied appearance.

"Ugh. Disgusting," said Soi Fon with a grimace. "What these Quincies have done to him is unacceptable."

"Indeed. But..." Komamura looked at his fellow Captains.

Not every Captain was present for this. Unohana had stayed behind along with Kenpachi. He was told to stay behind because the matter required a more delicate hand and they were afraid he would not comply, wanting to slaughter Ichigo in a brutal manner. However, Kenpachi, surprisingly, had offered to stay behind without a fuss, claiming that he had no desire to battle Ichigo while he was in such a state. If he killed Ichigo, he wanted the boy to be aware of what was happening and give him the fight he deserved. Killing him as a Hollow would be unfair, especially if this transformation was not of his own choosing.

Mayuri was also not amongst the Captains present. He was still in his lab working on a cure that would never reach Ichigo in time. Everyone doubted he would ever find one, even if they were given more time.

Soi Fon drew her weapon. "Let what must be done, be done."

Kensei looked at Ichigo with a pained expression.

How was this any different from what he had to go through? What any of the Vizards had to go through?

Being killed for something they never chose. Not being given a choice.

When Kensei looked at Ichigo, he saw himself. He saw all of them. Lisa, Shinji, Mashiro, Hyori, all of them.

The monster looking back at Ichigo was how he must have looked to the others who saw him back then. Those Soul Reapers who took one look at him and his friends and decided they must be killed.

Kisuke managed to save them. He did so much for them.

They were saved, but what about Ichigo? Who would save him?

Kensei looked at his sword and felt sick.

"How the hell am I any different?"

* * *

"I see him! I see him!"

Rukia and the others stopped, seeing Ichigo in his Hollowfied form. Linnette was happy to have found Ichigo still standing, despite his looks. She was just thankful he was still alive.

Rukia turned her head to the left. "What are the Captains doing here?" She had a horrifying thought. "Unless..."

"They must be here to put an end to Ichigo," finished Shinji. "The Captains were talking about it in one of our last meetings. They said they would kill him if either a cure wasn't found or because he was found too dangerous to keep alive."

Soi Fon started to approach the Hollow.

"Ichigo's not even attacking them," said Linnette. "If they go after him first, then it is an execution."

"The hell it is." Veneno sprinted to the Captains.

Ichigo was not attacking them. The only sign of hostility he displayed was growling. He was on his knees and would not rise. Either that or he could not. If that was the case, then they had little choice but to swing their blades.

This was what Soi Fon told herself as she approached. If he could not move, it meant he was too weak and would die soon. It was best to put an end to his suffering.

"No!"

Veneno threw himself on Soi Fon's sword, forcing it down.

"What the hell are you..?"

"Don't!" Veneno shouted. "Don't kill him!"

"You think I want this?" Soi Fon demanded. "You think this is something I want to do? I take no joy in this. But this is something that has to be done."

"No! No, it doesn't! You don't have to kill him."

"Look at him!" Soi Fon shouted. "Look at Ichigo! Nothing about him remains. There is no trace of Ichigo left. This may be difficult for you to understand, but he is not who he used to be anymore and never will be again! He's just a mindless Hollow who no longer knows what he's doing. He's suffering and in pain. You want him to live like that for however long he has left? He doesn't know who he is anymore. He doesn't even know you or any of us."

Veneno looked back at the monster behind him. Ichigo huffed and growled. Even his eyes had changed. Nothing about him looked like the Ichigo he knew.

"Stand aside," Soi Fon ordered.

Veneno would not let go of her sword.

"I said, stand aside."

Veneno looked at her. "I know what you think. But..."

"But what?"

"But... But you still shouldn't kill him. Not yet. Mayuri is still working on a cure. I know he is."

"But he hasn't found one and we can't wait any longer."

"But what if he finds one and then it's too late?" asked Veneno. "What if the second you swing your sword, a cure is found and he gets it to us? You can't cut him down. Even if he's suffering. There's still hope. You shouldn't kill him before his time. Let him live until the end. I just don't want you to kill him only to discover that we had a cure and have it be too late. Then there's no going back. I don't want regrets. Just let him live. Please."

Soi Fon had her doubts about there being a cure but she was also afraid of things playing out as Veneno described. She didn't want to kill Ichigo as it was, but killing him moments before a cure was discovered would have made everything much worse.

Still, she chose not to show weakness.

"Is this what Ichigo would want or what you want?"

Veneno flinched.

"Well?"

Veneno thought a moment, then said, "I know Ichigo would not want to hurt his friends."

"Good. We agree. Because right now, in this state, he is, so-"

"But I also know that he wouldn't want you to play into the enemy's hands. Killing him is just what the enemy wants. Do you want to be used?"

Offended, Soi Fon slapped Veneno across the face. It wasn't with all her strength, but Veneno being in a weakened state, it was enough to throw him to the ground and off her weapon.

"You think I want this? The enemy has given us little choice in the matter. Before you go saying such careless things, you need to take a good look around you. We have no options. None!"

Veneno picked himself up, holding his stomach. He was still on the mend from the battle that had taken place a few minutes ago.

"You're in no condition to stop me. And I'd rather not kill you, too."

Veneno looked up at Soi Fon and saw that this was something she did not want to do. Just as she claimed, she took no joy in this whatsoever. This was just something they felt had to be done.

"I've never bowed my head to a Soul Reaper before but if that's what it takes for you to listen..."

"Beg all you want, it won't change anything." Soi Fon raised her weapon. "Now out of my way!"

As she moved around Veneno, a new obstacle blocked her path.

"No, don't!" Linnette shrieked, throwing herself between Soi Fon and Ichigo. "Please, don't!"

Soi Fon pulled back just before Linnette could be cut. Soi Fon held her sword in front of her body with one hand, refusing to lower it.

"Get out of the way."

Linnette spread her arms wide to prevent Soi Fon from going around her.

"Don't you understand that he's dangerous as he is and that he's never coming back?"

"Don't you understand that we can wait until the end? Veneno's right. You shouldn't kill him yet. Not before his time. Besides, he's not even attacking you. That's not a fair fight."

"If we wait around for him to attack, lives could be lost."

"And if you don't wait and attack him anyway, lives will still be lost. Ichigo's life will be lost. I'm not going to let you kill him!"

"This doesn't concern you!" Soi Fon snapped.

"Yes, it does!" shouted Linnette. "It does because it's my fault! If I hadn't gotten hurt, Ichigo would have had no reason to go to the Quincy and get that poison put in him. He did it to save me. I know he did. I didn't ask him to, but he did anyway. If I hadn't gotten hurt, then..."

She felt responsible.

That was why she felt she had to do something herself. Feeling guilty, she went to find Ichigo and help him. Not just because he was her friend but because she felt responsible for what happened to him. He risked himself to save her so now she was going to risk herself to save him.

Behind her, Ichigo started to move. He lifted his head and snarled at the group assembled in front of him. He slowly got to his feet, getting ready to fight.

"You have to get out of the way," Soi Fon told her. "I don't want to kill him but we don't have much of a choice."

"You do have a choice! You can wait!"

Soi Fon saw Ichigo rise over Linnette's shoulder. There was no time to argue. If something wasn't done then Ichigo would end up killing someone.

"We don't have time for this." Soi Fon grabbed Linnette's arm and threw her aside. Then she turned to the Captains behind her. "Let's make this quick."

Veneno wrapped both arms around her waist and held her. "I'm not going to let you kill him!"

"Get off, you idiot! He's coming!"

Byakuya had yet to draw his sword, but he was preparing to fight if Ichigo attacked.

His eyes darted to his left, seeing Komamura draw his sword and take a step forward.

Just as he did so, Kensei grabbed the hilt of Komamura's Zanpakuto and held it down.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm sorry. But I can't." Kensei kept his face turned the other direction so the Captain couldn't see his face.

Komamura looked at Linnette, wondering if this was her doing.

"It's not her," said Kensei. "Not completely. She had given my Hollow the command not to harm Ichigo, so there's no way I can let anyone attack him with murderous intent. But, my Hollow isn't in control right now. Not of my body, at least. Just part of it. Only my arm."

Kensei turned his head so Komamura could see his eyes which had a light gold hue around his irises.

"The rest of what I'm doing is my own choice. Including my words," Kensei went on. "I can't in all good conscience let you go through with it. And I certainly can't bring myself to do it."

"Regardless of how you feel about Ichigo-"

"Friendship has nothing to do with it. Not for this." Kensei grit his teeth. "Even if Ichigo and I weren't friends, I still wouldn't go through with what you're asking me to do. Not after I was in the same position myself all those years ago. Back when I was going to be killed because of what someone else had done to me. Something beyond my control, beyond my wishes. The way I felt... I can't do what you're asking of me because it'd be the same. I can't kill him without condemning myself and all the other Vizards. It would be like saying none of us deserve to live. I just can't do that. I have morals, you know. I can't condemn Ichigo to death without condemning all of us. Don't you get that?"

Komamura didn't fight against Kensei's grip. He knew that he was right.

"Look out!"

Everyone turned to look at Ichigo who had started attacking anything in sight. He roared at the group and took a swipe at Soi Fon and Veneno. They both managed to escape harm, but Ichigo was still coming.

Rukai's eyes widened when she saw a fissure appear on Ichigo's right shoulder. The same thing that had happened to Sharif was starting to happen to him.

Ichigo was not going to survive much longer.

* * *

Victor stood anxiously as Mayuri finished testing the latest concoction, hoping it was the cure they were all waiting for.

"Just one more second." Mayuri was testing the mixture multiple times and putting samples through various trials to make sure it would work. This was the final test. If all went well, they would have something.

Mayuri made his observations and read the data.

"Well?"

Mayuri's smile was promising. So far, so good.

The final test was done.

"Yes!" Mayuri turned to Victor. "This is it. This will not only reverse the effects, but it won't kill him in the process. This should bring him back to the way he was before being given the first drug."

The relief was short when Victor reminded Mayuri that a team had already been dispatched to Ichigo's location in order to kill him.

Mayuri turned his back to Victor as he loaded the serum into a small vial and capped it.

Then Mayuri put the vial into Victor's hand.

"With your speed, you should be able to reach him in time."

Victor could move faster than a Soul Reaper's flash-step, traveling great distances in a matter of seconds. The only drawback was that Victor had to know where he was going. If he didn't know Ichigo's exact location, it might take him longer than usual to find him. Zipping from place to place would only add to the time they didn't have.

"Race to Ichigo's side and inject him with it," Mayuri told him. "It can be swallowed as well, but injecting him would be the fastest way to get it into his system. Now hurry. There's no time to waste."

Complaining about having to find Ichigo would take a lot longer than going out and doing it, so Victor kept quiet.

"Thank you."

He closed the vial in his fist and bolted from the laboratory.

It was only fitting that it be him to bring it to Ichigo. Not just because of his speed but because it was his serum that did this to him in the first place. If only he hadn't come up with that serum, the Quincy wouldn't have been able to take it for his own and change it into something even more dangerous. Victor had to share the blame in all this. He was truly sorry. At least now he can right a wrong and save Ichigo's life.

* * *

Bellowing, Ichigo thrust his arm forward to knock Soi Fon's weapon aside. She pulled back and tried to swing, but Veneno stopped her. Their bodies collided and both fell to the ground. Komamura moved in to defend them and Kensei held him back. It was utter chaos. There were three sides to this fight. Those who sought to kill Ichigo, those who protected him and Ichigo himself. It had become a free-for-all.

Veneno saw Soi Fon move to attack again and tried to stop her. Blood spurted from the wound in his stomach as he dashed forward. He fell just short of her body, slamming into her legs instead of her torso. Her attack continued and clashed with Ichigo's white arm.

"I told you, you're in no condition to fight, Arrancar," Soi Fon told him as she fought off Ichigo's attack. "Get out of here!"

Veneno refused. "Whatever happens here, I want to be by Ichigo's side. No matter what becomes of this fight."

Whether Ichigo lived or died. If he died from the poison or died from an attack, it didn't matter to him. Veneno wanted to be there for him like a true friend. If Ichigo was going to die, then he wanted to be by his side when it happened.

Someone like Ichigo didn't deserve to die alone. Someone had to be there with him to see him off.

Death was lonely and frightening.

The only thing that could ease such a thing was having someone who cared about him there beside him.

Even if Veneno couldn't stop their attacks and save Ichigo's life, the least he could do was be there for him.

Ichigo lunged at Soi Fon's abdomen and sent her flying.

After having faced Zalya twice within a matter of hours, Soi Fon still wasn't fully recovered. She could stand and run, but her fighting was off slightly. Still on the mend, she came all this way to fight Ichigo and put him down. Though advised to stay behind until she was back to full strength, she refused, not wanting to appear weak by babying her injuries.

Against Ichigo in his Hollow state was a poor idea.

Though on his last legs, Ichigo still possessed monstrous strength. He was not to be taken lightly and that was her biggest mistake. She didn't think he would have this much fight left in him.

Rukia didn't know what to do. She had to keep Ichigo from moving but she didn't want to make it easier for them to kill him. If she did nothing, her friends would be injured or worse.

The only one who had not attacked yet was her brother. Byakuya had drawn his sword but wasn't using it. He had yet to be given a reason to strike Ichigo and so far he hadn't received it.

Ichigo unleashed a roar and threw Veneno aside with his arm. Veneno tumbled away and lay on the ground. He was alive but was in too much pain to move.

He then turned his rage on the girl standing by the injured Vizard Captains. His claws extended and twisted together, forming a long single blade. He aimed it at the girl standing in front of the two men.

Shinji and Rojuro grabbed her arms to pull her down. She fell on top of them. They tried to get up to carry her to safety but they were too injured to move. All they could do was hold her and pray Ichigo's attack wasn't too deep.

He thrust his arm forward to skewer all three of them.

Fearing for her life and theirs, Linnette screamed.

Ichigo's claws went through a male torso and out the back, the tips of his claws stopping just short of Linnette's chest.

Though punctured, there was no blood.

"Cedric!"

Hearing her speak his name, Cedric turned and smiled at Linnette. "Hello."

"What are you doing here? I didn't call you."

"He must have come because you were in danger," said Shinji.

"That... And it was a request."

"From whom?"

Cedric turned slightly, Ichigo's claws still in his abdomen, and held up the person under his arm.

"Stop carrying me like a freaking suitcase!" yelled Hitsugaya.

"If you were on my back, you would have been injured by that attack. I had little choice," said Cedric.

Komamura turned and saw the Captain under Cedric's arm. "Captain Hitsugaya, what are you doing here? I thought you were in the sickbay."

"I was. But when I heard that you were going to execute Ichigo, I felt like I should be here as well."

"To witness or assist?"

Hitsugaya did not answer.

Ichigo pulled his claws free and roared at Cedric. Ichigo's breath blew back Cedric's hair but he wasn't intimidated.

"You have to put me down or something," complained Hitsugaya. "From this position-"

"Hold on, then."

"Hold on to wha- Ahh!"

Cedric threw Hitsugaya straight up into the air. His arms free, Cedric picked up Linnette and the two Captains and carried them away from Ichigo. Then Cedric flashed back and caught Hitsugaya before he could hit the ground. When Ichigo slashed at them, Cedric jumped, stepped on Ichigo's back and landed behind him.

Hitsugaya dug his nails into Cedric's chest and arm, very tense.

Cedric looked down. "What?"

Hitsugaya smacked him. "What!? You threw me into the air!"

"I caught you, didn't I?"

"You threw me!"

"I do that to Linnette all the time. She finds it fun." Cedric didn't see the issue. "Besides, I couldn't carry all four of you at the same time. Not when two of them are injured."

"I'm injured, too! That's my point! You tossed me into the air when I can hardly move as it is!"

"You opted to come here. You asked me to bring you no matter what state you were in."

"You..." Hitsugaya saw Ichigo raise his arm. "Move!"

Cedric took Hitsugaya and retreated.

Ichigo's arm slammed into the ground and he took two steps to pursue Cedric but quickly gave up. He turned his attention back to the Captains who weren't injured, favoring them instead.

Ichigo roared and fired a single cero.

The explosion created a massive wind that knocked them off their feet. Any Soul Reapers in the air became Ichigo's new target. Rukia was the closest. He slammed his fist into her from the side and sent her flying.

That was all the reason Byakuya needed to attack.

* * *

Victor stopped and looked around. There was no sign of Ichigo here either.

The ground trembled.

Victor turned and saw a massive dust cloud rise into the air.

"There."

He ran to the dust cloud and heard voices. The Captains were already here.

* * *

Rukia tumbled across the dirt. She picked herself up and rubbed her shoulder. Even in this state, Ichigo packed a punch.

"Rukia?"

She looked up. "Victor! What are you doing here?"

Victor helped her to her feet and held out his hand.

His fingers opened, unveiling the vial in his hand.

Rukia's heart started pounding. "Is that..?"

He nodded. "This is the cure."

She was so happy she could cry. She couldn't believe they had found a cure.

With this, Ichigo's life would be saved.

Ichigo roared behind them. They looked and saw Byakuya battling Ichigo with his sword.

"Brother!"

Victor closed his fist around the vial. "Injected or swallowed, it will cure him."

With that, Victor ran forward.

Byakuya gripped his sword tightly and adjusted his footing. He threw Ichigo's claws down and moved to chop off his head.

Victor slammed into him from the side.

"Excuse me."

Byakuya gave him a crossed look. Byakuya did not take his words as an apology.

Victor uncapped the vial and stood in front of Ichigo. "Hold still. This will only take a second."

Byakuya's eyes went to the vial in Victor's hand and understood.

Ichigo roared and raised his arm to strike.

As he did, cracks started to appear just below the elbow.

Victor used his speed to get close.

He didn't inject him.

"Mm."

He couldn't tell which was flesh and which was the hard shell of a Hollow. Ichigo's entire body seemed to be armored. If Victor didn't inject him correctly, it would have been no different from not having a cure at all. He didn't want to waste his only shot.

Ichigo spun and caught Victor with his tail.

A hand reached out and caught him.

"Cedric?"

"Victor."

He stood and looked at his brother. "Then you are here as well. For what purpose?"

"I was asked to come here by this Captain child."

"I am not a child!"

Cedric ignored him. "If you're here then that must mean you've found a cure."

"That's correct." Victor held it up. "This is our one shot. But... I cannot tell where the best place is to inject it."

Ichigo roared and charged at the group.

"Make up your mind fast because here he comes."

"We're running out of time."

"I know that."

Victor got as close as he could and considered throwing the vial into Ichigo's mouth. The cure was effective if swallowed, or so he had been told.

Ichigo snapped at Victor's hand and he jerked back.

As he prepared to throw it into Ichigo's mouth, he saw cracks appear on his neck and shoulder. Blood seeped down Ichigo's chin.

Victor hesitated.

Snarling, Ichigo slammed his arm into Victor's stomach and threw him backwards.

The vial flew out of Victor's hand as he sailed backwards in a straight line.

"Ah!" Rukia dove forward and caught the vial in both hands.

Ichigo stood over her and snarled.

Byakuya moved to protect her but was held back by Cedric.

Ichigo raised his arm to strike.

"Stop, Ichigo!" Rukia ordered him. It had worked in the past so she hoped it would work again. "You don't have to do this. Not anymore. We have a cure. We can help you. Please, let us help you."

Ichigo threw his arm down and his claws sank into the ground at her feet. He huffed and snarled at her. He didn't seem to understand a word she was saying.

"It's ok, Ichigo. We have a cure. We can help you."

Snarling, he swung at her head. She stumbled back and fell against a tree.

Ichigo moved in.

Byakuya pulled against Cedric's grip, worried for his sister. Lieutenant or not, he felt it was his duty to protect her, no matter her status. She seemed so vulnerable.

Rukia kept her voice calm. "Ichigo. We have a cure. We can fix this. It will make you feel better. Ok? Ok, Ichigo?"

He growled.

"Ichigo... Please."

He huffed, his breath blowing back her hair.

"Please. I know you don't want to be like this. I know this isn't you. This isn't what you want. You never chose this. So please. Please let us cure you. This time you have a choice. You can either stay like this and die, or accept this cure and save your life."

Shinji grimaced. "I don't think he understands a word she's saying. I know she's trying not to provoke him, but... Inject him already."

"What if she hits the mask and the cure never reaches his skin to affect him?"

Shinji frowned. "I know, Rose. But..."

Rukia saw the cracks in his arms and neck. He didn't have long. At this rate, he would end up just like Sharif.

"Ichigo..."

He raised himself up and flexed his claws.

"Ichigo, don't."

He raised his arm.

"Ichigo!"

He slashed at her small body.

Rukia rolled aside and ran behind the tree. Ichigo roared and chased her. She ran to the other side as he chopped the tree down with the strength of his arm. As the tree snapped in two, more cracks appeared on his arm.

"He's beyond reason. Can't she see that?" asked Soi Fon. "Cure or not, it's too late for him. Look at him. He can't possibly..."

"Where's you faith, hm?" asked Victor.

Soi Fon was surprised to see him back so quickly. It showed just how resilient Victor was.

He stood beside her and watched.

The rest was up to Rukia. He decided to give her a chance. Ichigo must have been far more precious to her than to either Cedric or to Victor himself.

Rukia went to another tree, but didn't hide behind it. She used it to swing her body into a sharp turn and run beside Ichigo, hoping to find a place to inject him. She couldn't find anything resembling flesh on his body. He was too heavily armored.

Ichigo stood and used his tail to cut her off. Rukia came to a stop.

He towered over her.

He raised his claws.

"Ichigo!" she screamed, fearing what he would do next.

Roaring, he slammed his claws down. Not on her, but on the ground. He made a sharp right turn and ran head-first into the tree.

"Ah..?"

He pulled back and slammed his head against it again.

"Ichigo?"

The other Captains stared in confusion. "What is he doing?"

Ichigo pummeled his head with the tree trunk repeatedly.

"Ichigo, stop it!" Rukia yelled.

She didn't know why he was doing this but it was only damaging him further. His mask protected him from injury, but cracks were starting to appear on his head now. Throwing himself against the tree was only killing him faster.

"Is he trying to kill himself in order to keep himself from hurting others?" Komamura wondered aloud.

Ichigo pulled back and stumbled. Blood was dripping down his mask, oozing from his mouth. More cracks were appearing on other parts of his body as well.

He lifted his head, looking at Rukia. He raised his claws again.

Then another surprise occurred.

He turned the claws on himself.

He dug his claws into the cracks on his shoulder and started to pulled pieces of armor off his body. He was ripping his arm apart.

"The pain must be so much, he can't take it anymore."

"Does he even know what he's doing?"

"Who can tell anymore?"

Byakuya squinted. "Wait. Is he..? Is that..?"

Ichigo tore off a huge chunk of his white armor and threw it aside. After that, he stopped attacking himself.

He stumbled and staggered and slumped to his knees, huffing and growling.

As he knelt hunched over, Rukia saw it.

An opening. Ichigo had given her an opening.

Whether he knew what he was doing or not, Rukai was just happy to see a break in his armor so she could reach his flesh.

The flesh below the surface wasn't Ichigo's. It was thick and dripping with puss and blood. It was gray and leathery. It was Hollow flesh, not human.

Rukia approached quickly but cautiously.

Ichigo lifted himself up and prepared to launch another attack.

He snapped at her as she came closer. He threw his arm at her and she retreated. More cracks started to appear. His body was even more brittle than before. His armor was like glass.

His claws caught Rukia's sleeve. Twisting his arm, he tore off her sleeve. He missed her flesh but that only made him thirst for blood. He wanted to kill her.

Rukia stood still, a plan forming in her mind. Ichigo swiped at her head and she ducked. He swung again and she ducked. Irritated, he lowered himself on all fours like a beast and snapped at her with his jaws. She stepped back, his jaws clamping shut just in front of her chest. He snapped again and she dove to the side.

She grabbed one of Ichigo's horns. She swung her body close and steadied herself. Ichigo turned his head but his teeth couldn't quite reach her. She took the vial and plunged the needle into the opening his his armor. The liquid was injected straight into his flesh.

Ichigo screeched.

His cries were enough to shake her loose and she fell. Rukia scrambled back.

Ichigo roared and howled in agony. Then he turned his rage back on her. He started slashing again.

"Didn't it work?" asked Rojuro. "I thought that was supposed to cure him."

"Was it a dud? Does it need more time to take effect?"

Shinji frowned in despair. "Maybe we were too late."

Ichigo snapped at Rukia's head as she stumbled back. He swung his arm, hitting her with the back of his clawed hand. As she fell, he moved in to finish her off.

Then stopped.

More cracks started to form on his body, faster than before. They grew and spread.

He roared and staggered backwards.

Everyone watched with fearful uncertainty.

He screeched and howled. He stood on his hind legs and bellowed at the sky. His roar echoed for miles.

His roar caught in his throat and the eye-holes in his mask went dark.

He stood frozen like a statue.

Silence.

Ichigo's body began to fall apart.

Thick pieces of armor fell, pulverizing into dust at his feet. His horns broke and fell. His arms, his chest and his head.

His mask shattered into pieces and fell, revealing Ichigo's human face.

Freed from his broken Holow form, Ichigo's body fell over. With nothing to support him, he was nothing but dead weight.

"Ichigo!"

Rukia ran forward. She was the first and only one to reach him. Everyone else was either unable to move from injury or too stunned.

Rukia turned his body over. She rolled Ichigo onto his back and cradled his head in her lap.

He wasn't moving. His eyes were closed.

"Ichigo?"

He didn't respond.

"Ichigo?" She gave him a little shake but still didn't get a response from him. "Ichigo!"

Were they too late? Was the strain too much for his body to handle? Had the poison taken its toll on him?

"Ichigo! Answer me." She felt so helpless. All she could do was call his name. "Ichigo! Ichigo!"

No matter what she did, he didn't move.

"Ichigo. Please..." She prayed he wasn't dead. "Ichigo, can you hear me? Say something! Ichigo. Ichigo!"

"Mm."

A sound.

His eyebrows twitched.

"Ichigo?"

His eyes started to open.

"Rukia?"

He spoke. It was weak and hoarse but he spoke.

His brown eyes fell on her. He smiled.

She was so relieved.

"Ichigo!" Tears started to form in the corner of her eyes. She was so happy to hear his voice and see his smile. "Ichigo, are you ok? How do you feel?"

He smiled again. "I feel... a lot better." He chuckled. "I'm feeling much better."

She smiled and a tear fell onto his cheek.

"You're such an idiot. Making me worry like that." She sniffled. "Why didn't you say anything when I called you the first several times?"

"Sorry. I couldn't really..." Ichigo sighed. "I wasn't really awake yet. And when I did hear your voice, I couldn't make my body respond." He looked down at his body. "I can't really move right now. I'm having trouble feeling my lower half but I think I'm all there, aren't I?"

Rukia nodded. "You're ok. You just need rest."

Ichigo sighed again. "I was worried I'd never see you guys again. I fought Yagi a little while ago but I don't remember what happened to him. I fought him until I lost control of my body and changed."

"Don't worry about that right now. I'm just glad you're safe. We'll get you back to the Seireitei and get you fixed up."

Ichigo gave a small moan. "Rukia..." His voice was fading slightly. "Did I... hurt anyone while I was..?"

"I told you not to worry. We're all fine."

She looked back at the group assembled behind her. Now that Ichigo had returned to normal, there was no longer a reason to kill him. Everyone looked relieved.

She looked back at Ichigo and hugged his shoulders gently. "I'm so glad you're ok." It was finally over.

"How touching."

That voice. That sinister voice cloaked in velvet.

Ichigo didn't have the strength to turn his head but thankfully Rukia's movements did the work for him. As she tensed, looking up, Ichigo's head rolled to his left shoulder and he saw Yagi.

He was standing nearby. Alone.

He had no more supporters. No more followers. No more laboratories. No more Hollows.

He stood alone.

Despite all this, he gave a confident smirk.

"You're not out of the woods yet, Ichigo," he said. "That poison has taken its toll on you. It's clear in the fact that you can't move anymore. Your organs must be shot. Your form doesn't matter if the damage has already been done. I wonder how long you have left before your body shuts down. You're so weak, I doubt it will be long at all. Don't be so cheery, seeing you back in a Soul Reaper's flesh. That doesn't mean the worst is over."

The Captains raised their weapons.

"Ah-ah-ah." Yagi held up his hand. "Don't be so quick. I still have an ace up my sleeve. I can see that you Soul Reapers are on your last legs as well. My subordinates must have invaded the Seireitei and gave you a run for your money. Some of you still haven't recovered from past events. Do you really think you stand a chance against me?"

As he said this, Ichigo noticed he had taken a step back. He hadn't done that the last time he gave such a speech. Yagi must have been scared. He was worried.

"As for those two there..." Yagi looked at Victor and Cedric who were still standing amongst the Captains. "If you think you can reach me with your speed, think again. The same trick I used on that girl I can do again. To multiple targets. I can do it to her right here, right now. And being so far from medical attention, she'll likely die this time."

Neither of them wanted to risk it. If Linnette's life weren't in danger, they would have taken off Yagi's head by now. The fact that they didn't meant the situation was dire. Having seen Linnette in such a state had frightened them to the point where they no longer wanted to take risks when it came to Yagi.

"Even if she wasn't my target, I can do it to Ichigo. He's already so weak, it won't take much to finish him off. It would likely kill him in an instant. Would you like to risk such a thing?" Yagi chuckled. "I could even use it on those Captains there. The ones who can't move. Or that Arrancar. I could hit all of you at once. Long before any of you can reach me."

No one moved.

"You don't even know how I use the Blood Spear attack," Yagi added. "I was careful to keep that part a secret. I could flick my wrist, wink my eye. I might just have to think about it and you know how fast a thought can enter one's mind. Your speed won't matter here. As soon as I see one of you flinch or flicker, I'll do it. If someone grabs me or tries to freeze me in ice, I'll do it. It won't matter. There isn't a single move you can make that will stop me or prevent me from using it. My death alone could trigger it."

No one wanted to take such a risk. Not knowing how he performed that attack made things dangerous. If they didn't know how he did it, they didn't know what to avoid.

"A thought, a movement, or something beyond my control." Yagi chuckled again. "You see the danger?"

There wasn't anything they were willing to do. Even Soi Fon wasn't willing to be that reckless in order to take him down.

Yagi started laughing.

"You see? You cannot defeat me. There's no possible way. I made sure of that. I calculated everything and every possibility to ensure my victory. Arrogance gets you killed but being smart keeps you alive. I haven't lost yet. As long as I'm alive, I'll win. I can always come back with a new plan."

He looked at Ichigo and then to the others.

"Every injury I sustained isn't enough to stop me. Though I've lost all my men, I'll find more. I'm not picky."

He knew Yaku and Zalya were dead. These Captains wouldn't be here if they weren't.

"You had a good run but it wasn't enough. Not against me. I lost everyone but I'm still standing and that's all that matters. I still have so much. The Blood Spear, of course, but so much more. I have plenty of weapons. I have every base covered. Every outcome, every solution, everything."

As long as he had these Soul Reapers scared, no one would think of touching him. He would keep them at bay with his words. He was determined not to die here.

"Don't think for a second you've won. I still have so much. Much more than any of you. I have more in my arsenal than you people. All you have are your swords and kido. You Soul Reapers think you're so strong but look at you. Just the five of us have managed to shake the Seireitei and rattle each and every one of you. I even managed to make your dear puppet Ichigo attack you, something I bet none of you ever thought would be possible. I managed to use him and so many others. I've proven myself to be far greater than any of you. I am your biggest threat and there's nothing you can do to stop me. I cannot be defeated by a Soul Reaper."

Yagi was rattled. Ichigo knew it. He was trying to scare them off with his words because he knew he had nothing left.

Either that or Yagi was trying to convince himself that he had nothing to fear.

"Look at you. So weak." Yagi chuckled. "The things you do. You know, you wouldn't have had to go through half of what you did if you had simply killed Ichigo as I thought you would. Perhaps you kept your distance because you knew you didn't stand a chance and didn't want to be killed. Though you didn't kill him, I still consider this a success. You've all been weakened and now Ichigo, my biggest hurdle, has been immobilized. As far as I'm concerned, this is a victory. You are all too weak to stop me. Even those two inhuman creatures and that disgusting piece of Hollow filth. The company you keep is varied and that has done nothing for you. You are still weak. You have been weakened further. There is nothing any of you can do. What did you expect? I always-"

SHUCK!

"Ugh!"

Yagi's body lurched forward.

Something glinted in his chest. It looked like the tip of a knife.

Ichigo's eyes widened. That was the tip of the blade he had stabbed Yagi with in the small town. It was embedded in his back. Something must have struck Yagi from behind to force the tip through his back and out his chest.

But what?

Blood started to seep down Yagi's chest. He put a shaky had to his wound, his fingers pressing near the knife tip.

He slowly turned. As he did, everyone saw what had forced the arrow through his body.

An arrow. A Quincy's arrow.

"Y... Y- You..?"

Standing behind him, with his weapon raised high, was Uryu.

"You run your mouth too much," he told Yagi. "It made it easy for me not only to locate you but to sneak up from behind. You didn't detect me at all."

Yagi's body shook. The blood oozing from his chest dyed his white coat crimson.

The tip of the knife had been driven through his heart.

"I don't... understand..." Yagi said hoarsely. "You're... a Quincy, aren't you? Why..? Why would you..?" Yagi pressed his hands tight around the wound. "You're... just like me."

Uryu looked offended. "I am nothing like you."

Yagi met Uryu's eyes. Uryu's face was firm and serious. His eyes matched his expression. There was no trace of sadness or regret in having shot Yagi from behind.

"Frankly, I don't consider you to be a Quincy. Not a true one, at least."

Yagi, for once, had no words.

"As far as I'm concerned, you're a Quincy in name only. A real Quincy would never do the things you've done. I've heard all about it. Experimenting on innocent people, turning them into Hollows and then doing the same thing to Soul Reapers. Or rather one specifically. You took advantage of someone's kind heart and turned them into a Hollow so they would be easier to fight. You made him attack his friends against his willing with the desire to have them kill him out of sheer desperation. You wanted to make sure neither side had a choice. A real Quincy would never stoop so low. A true Quincy would never be that much of a coward or resort to such tricks. If you desire to take down Soul Reapers then have the pride to do it yourself with your own strength."

Yagi could no longer stand. He slumped to his knees with his head bowed as if begging for Uryu's forgiveness.

"Pride... gets you killed. Cast that aside... and you'll have a better chance of winning. As long as they fell, I didn't care how it was done," said Yagi.

"I also heard that you turned a Quincy into a Hollow. After that, I couldn't bear to hear anymore. Despicable doesn't even begin to describe you. How could you do such a thing? Just to give yourself an edge? What were you thinking? Did you even have the Quincy's consent? How does he feel about all this?"

Yagi gave a hoarse chuckle. "Who cares what he thinks? He's dead anyway. I didn't think he'd last as long as he did. I figured he'd die on the table but as long as he was alive, I decided to use him to my full advantage. Until he rebelled against me, that is. At least he managed to weaken Kurosaki's companions before switching sides. If the transformation didn't kill him, I would have. He was an abomination."

"You turned him into that."

Yagi snorted.

"Are all people meant to be used by you?" Uryu asked him.

"Just looking out for number one. As a Quincy, you should be on my side. Instead, you do this? Where is your Quincy pride?"

"Pride doesn't mean blindly following those of the same race. It's about doing what's right. And like I've said, what you were dong is something no real Quincy would do. They certainly would never turn someone into a Hollow and use them to fight in their place. And who the hell attempts to shoot someone when they're down? Who attacks an innocent girl who isn't even taking part in battle? That is beyond low."

Yagi gasped, fighting to draw breath.

The man who longed to be the last one standing had reached his end.

"Take pride in having been vanquished by a true Quincy," Uryu said in a harsh tone.

Yagi opened his mouth to speak, but all that came out were garbled words and blood.

Still clutching his chest, Yagi shot Uryu a look of contempt and fell forward.

The man who had caused them so much trouble and pain was dead.

Uryu lowered his bow and it faded away. He looked over Yagi's fallen body at Ichigo briefly then turned to leave.

"Uryu..."

He stopped, hearing Ichigo's faint voice.

"... Thank you."

Uryu paused, letting those words sink in.

Ichigo wasn't upset about not being the one to finish Yagi off. In a way, he did, since it was the knife that officially finished the job. As usual, it was his friends who gave him that final push.

As far as he was concerned, it was still a victory.

Uryu turned his body slightly to one side but didn't look at any of them directly.

"I didn't do it for you," he said. "I did it because it had to be done. That man had no right to call himself a Quincy. As far as I'm concerned, he isn't a real Quincy. Not with the things he's done or any..."

Uryu turned his head so his face wouldn't be seen.

"That guy had to be brought down. It only seemed right that I be the one to do it. None of you were moving so... A Quincy has to pick up the slack when a Soul Reaper fails, that's all."

No one, not even Soi Fon, had a retort for that remark. They let it slide.

"Besides..." Uryu went on. "Orihime was asking after you. So... So I thought... Again, it's nothing personal." He scoffed. "You're always running off without saying anything. Can you blame her for being worried? Someone has to keep an eye on you and make sure you're ok."

Uryu may have said that, but Ichigo didn't fully believe it. He knew Uryu was just as worried as he claimed Orihime to be.

"Hey..." Uryu gave a forced chuckle. "You're the one always rescuing other people. It's nice for the tables to turn for a change. For once, you're the one who needs saving."

Uryu was going to hold that over his head for a long time.

"So that's it," Uryu concluded. "That's the only reason I came. Now that you're fine and he's finished..."

By this time, Ichigo had stopped listening. He just couldn't keep his eyes open any longer.

For the first time in ages, he felt like he could rest. His body and mind were at peace.

It was over.

* * *

We're nearing the end now.

Please review! ^-^


	40. Chapter 40

**Chapter 40:**

His body felt heavy but comfortable. It was warm.

He opened his eyes.

A ceiling hung over his head.

"Ichigo? Are you awake?"

Ichigo turned his head to his right. Again, she was the first person he saw when he woke up.

"Rukia."

She approached his bed and sat down in the empty chair. "How are you feeling, sleepyhead?"

"Ok, I guess. How long was I out?"

"Two days."

"Hm." He thought it would be longer. He must have not slept long enough. His body was still weak and he felt tired. He wanted to go back to sleep.

"Ichigo!" came two voices.

"Urk!"

Arms reached and clung to his body. He heard wailing.

Rukia chuckled. "Those two have hardly left your side all this time."

"Those two..?"

The wailing figures lifted their heads, tears and snot rolling down their faces and onto his sheets.

"I was so worried about you, Ichigo!" cried Linnette.

"Never do that again, you stupid idiot!" Veneno wailed.

Ichigo smiled. He was happy to see them and was even happier to know how much they cared about him.

"I'm alright, guys. Really. You can stop crying now."

"I'm not crying, you gigantic idiot!" Veneno blubbered. "I'm just glad you're alive!" He wiped his tears on the corner of Ichigo's sheets. "What would I have done if you had..? What am I supposed to do? You... I can't... You moron!"

Linnette sobbed a lot quieter but she was holding Ichigo tighter, with both hands digging into his sides. "I was so worried. I'm so glad you're ok. I didn't want anything to happen to you. If you had died, it would have been all my fault!"

"It's not your..."

"You went to the bad guy to save me, didn't you? That makes it my fault if anything had happened. If you had died, I would never have forgiven myself." Linnette started crying all over again. "You didn't have to. I didn't ask you to. Why? Why would you..? I'm not that important. You didn't have to..."

Ichigo's eyes widened slightly at her words.

Linnette didn't consider her life to be more important than that of anyone else. Hers didn't hold more value in her opinion. Of course she didn't want to die, but if her life was spared at the cost of another person's than that would be far different. She didn't want anyone to die for her.

She didn't value herself above others.

Ichigo's eyes softened. "Linnette... You are important. To someone. What would they have done if anything had happened to you?"

Linnette stopped crying. "You mean Victor and Cedric?"

"Them and anyone you've become friends with. Including me. I didn't want to see you suffer. Besides, Yagi was going to keep doing that to a number of people. You were just the first. If I had done nothing, he would have come back and done it to someone else. Even if that person meant nothing to me, someone would have been upset."

"I guess you're right. So... So you would have done that for anyone?"

"Of course I care about what happens to you. You're my friend, aren't you? But, yeah. I would have gone to fight Yagi whether or not you were the one hurt. So don't beat yourself up about it. I didn't do it to see you get upset." Ichigo grinned, hoping to gain a smile from her in return. "And I didn't do it just to save you. Victor and Cedric were in a bad way, too. I was also helping them out."

He was just trying to make her feel better, but Ichigo wasn't known for choosing his words carefully. Sometimes he said the wrong thing. This time it seemed to work. It didn't make Linnette feel insignificant knowing that he would have done it for anyone. Apparently Linnette understood what he was trying to say.

"Where are those two anyway?" Ichigo asked.

"They've been popping in and out to check on you," said Rukia. "Apparently, they've been worried about you, too."

"And like we haven't?" Veneno snapped. "I've been worried sick, not like I care!"

"I said they've been worried, too. Too! As in them as well and you. Now get off Ichigo. He's still recovering and you might be hurting him worse."

"Actually, Rukia... I can't really feel too much right now. My body's kind of numb." Ichigo tried moving but his body wasn't responding. All he could move was his head. "I can't even feel my legs."

"I'm told that you'll be able to recover pretty quick, but you need a lot of rest." Rukia sat back in her seat. "It was a miracle Victor managed to bring that cure to you on time like that. Another minute and it might have been too late. That was really cutting it close. You were really on the brink... But you're ok now."

Ichigo rested his head on the pillow. "Yeah. Thanks."

"I only injected you. You should really be thanking Victor for bringing it. And Mayuri for making it. Who would have thought..?" Then Rukia looked over the bed at the person crouching beside Ichigo's body. "Should be thanking Veneno as well. It's really thanks to him a cure was found in the first place."

"Me?" Veneno took his hand off Ichigo to point at himself. "What did I have to do with it?"

"Akon brought up your recovery when you were in Mayuri's lab. That inspired Mayuri to combine your regeneration ability and what they did to help speed up the process to Ichigo's cure. The issue with most of the trials was that the damage would have been too much for Ichigo's body to handle. He would have died as a result. The poison would have been too much. But by using your ability to recover, Ichigo's body wouldn't have succumbed to the poison as quickly. Since at the time way back when, you were too injured for even your regeneration to heal you after the fight. Therefore, in order to save your life, Mayuri had to aid your regeneration ability. So basically, what he did for you, he also, in a way, did for Ichigo. It wasn't exactly the same, but it's the same principal. What it did was allow Ichigo's body to recover just enough so he wouldn't die from his injuries. The internal damage was so vast."

Veneno looked at the sheets. "So... It's like... My regenerative powers gave Ichigo enough time to live once the cure took effect. Like pulling out a knife that's cut into an artery. If you pull it out, you bleed out. My ability prevents bleeding out. That's what you're saying, right?"

"Basically. When it was explained to me it was a lot more complicated. Basically, it kept Ichigo's insides functioning until his body could recover enough for his natural healing to kick in. Like slowing down a fall just before hitting the ground so the impact isn't as bad. All the other cures that would have cured him would have also ended up killing him as well. Most of them because of exactly this. His body would have shut down completely because the damage to his body was too great for it to handle. So Mayuri needed something that would keep Ichigo's vital organs functioning for a little while."

"So it is like bleeding out."

"Same idea, I guess."

Veneno smiled brightly, happy to have helped. Even if it was only because of a theory and not because of him physically saving him.

Rukia looked over at the bed. "Ichigo, you alright?"

Ichigo looked like he was fading. His eyes were barely open and he no longer looked as alert as he was before.

"I'm tired."

He still had a long road to recovery.

Rukia smiled. "It's ok. You need your rest."

Ichigo had a lot more questions but he fell asleep before he could ask any of them. He was just too tired.

* * *

When Ichigo opened his eyes again, it was the middle of the night. He tried moving his arms but they were too heavy to lift. He turned his head and saw Rukia sitting in the same chair as before with a blanket draped over her shoulders. She shifted in her seat and looked at him.

"Hey."

"Hi."

Ichigo started to lift his head but stopped when Rukia put a finger to her lips. She pointed to something at the foot of his bed. Ichigo looked down and saw Veneno sleeping by his legs. He was in a kneeling position, with his head resting in his arms on the mattress.

"He just fell asleep a little while ago," Rukia whispered. "Cedric took Linnette into another room to sleep. In case you were wondering what happened to her."

Ichigo nodded. He was just about to ask that. He looked to his left and saw a vase full of flowers on his bedside table.

"From you?" he asked softly. "How nice, but I don't need them."

"They're not from me." Rukia sat back in her chair. "Victor put them there."

"Victor did?"

"Yeah. Told you he was concerned about you. He's been checking on you often. So has Cedric."

"They have?"

"Mm-hm. In fact, Cedric is right there now."

Ichigo looked at the door and saw Cedric peeking through the small window at him. He moved away as soon as Ichigo saw him.

"Oops. Guess he was spotted." Rukia smiled, amused. "He usually checks on you from the door, but he's come in a couple of times."

Ichigo turned and faced the ceiling again. "How long was I asleep that time?" he asked.

"Only a few hours. Why?"

"I'm still tired." He couldn't shake this sleepiness. Since it was the middle of the night, it only seemed appropriate for him to go back to sleep.

Rukia moved a cup close to Ichigo's face. "Drink a little water first."

Ichigo sipped the water through a straw as she held the cup for him. As he drank, his eyes grew heavier. Rukia took the cup away and watched Ichigo fall back asleep. She put the cup back on the table and covered herself with the blanket.

Even if she didn't need to, she was going to watch over him as he slept. Just to make sure he was alright.

* * *

The following morning, Ichigo was able to sit up with help to eat his breakfast. He was even able to move his fingers but lifting his arms was still a challenge. He was given soup to eat but could barely lift the spoon. Most of the time he dropped it. Taking pity on him, Rukia offered to help feed him.

"How long did Unohana say I'd be weak like this?"

"It all depends. Your whole body was breaking down. You nearly died, Ichigo. It will take some time. Just be thankful you're able to do this much this soon. We all thought you'd be in a coma for weeks."

"So this is progress?"

"It's an improvement from before, I'd say. Now here comes the choo-choo."

"Don't tease me."

Every now and then, Rukia would tease him and Ichigo would tolerate it. He didn't mind. He was just happy to be alive. He was happy to see his friends again.

For a while, he was scared. The reality of death was too close for comfort. Even in battle, knowing he stood a chance at being cut down, death rarely crossed his mind. Though he knew it was a possibility, it just didn't seem real to him. All he cared about was winning. Not what would happen to him should he lose. Not in that sense, at least. This was the first time he had come that close to death and it actually frightened him.

It finally dawned on him.

He didn't think it would bother him, but it did. It stayed on his mind for a while.

What actually bothered him the most about this particular death was how different it was from past battles in which he stood an equal chance of perishing. It wasn't an enemy's sword that would cut him down but that of a friend's. To become something that needed to be cut down to save others. To prevent him from killing those he cared about. That was the difference.

The other major difference was in that he wouldn't be cut down in battle. It was a poison. It was a battle against the clock more than anything. It made him think about his own mortality and the mortality of those around him. How anyone could die. Not from a wound but from their own mortality. How someone's time could just run out.

In battle, if he were to get cut down, he would see death coming. However, this was more slow and uncertain. He would suffer and wonder when death was coming for him, knowing that it was but uncertain of the exact moment.

The unknowing was a big part of it.

He imagined it was what cancer patients in hospitals had to face. Knowing it was coming but unsure of exactly how long it would take. What they had time to do and what they didn't have time for. The fear and regret.

What made it worse were the times Ichigo found himself alone.

He pushed himself hard, wanting to fight. Resisting the transformation. Determined to battle the enemy and take him down. To not let him win. To protect his friends. Though those thoughts were in the front of his mind, the ones going on in the back of his mind were about not wanting to die alone. He wanted someone with him. Someone to see him off and bring him some form of comfort. He wanted someone there. He didn't want to die alone.

In the end, they were there.

He remembered waking up in Rukia's arms with everyone gathered around to make sure he was ok. That made him feel so much better.

Whether he would live or die in that moment, he was given comfort. Just seeing everyone there was enough for him.

Now that he was on the mend, those thoughts rarely crossed his mind anymore. He moved on. He didn't want to dwell on them.

He was alive.

* * *

Akon walked down another corridor, looking for someone. He had asked several people if they had seen him but no one had. There was only one place left to look, but he didn't think he would be there of all places.

Then again, maybe he would.

He walked down the stone staircase and into the dark hallway. He reached a door and opened it, entering the lab. It was dark and quiet. Mayuri didn't have any secret projects he was working on at the moment so finding the laboratory this quiet was to be expected.

Akon's eyes scanned the room slowly before finally stopping on the closet on his left.

There he was. Sitting inside the closet with his knees to his chest.

Akon approached the closet and squatted down at the door. "What are you doing in here, Veneno?"

Veneno glanced up. "I just felt like coming here."

It was his first home, after all. This closet was his room at one time. Because of this, in a strange way, it brought him some comfort. Like visiting a childhood memory.

Akon sat with his back against the wall and faced the lab. He was a little surprised to find Veneno here of all places, but in a way it made sense so it wasn't a complete shock.

"I hear Ichigo's doing well," said Akon. "I'm surprised you're not with him."

"I hardly left his side for the past couple days."

"So you're taking a break?"

Veneno hugged his legs to his chest. "I just... I don't know. I guess I came here to think."

"About what?"

"Things."

Akon turned his head to look at the Arrancar hiding in the closet. "What kind of things? What's on your mind?"

Veneno hesitated. He still wasn't sure himself.

"I've been thinking about the Quincy guy I met. Sharif. He was turned into a half-Hollow. He felt lost and confused and scared. He said he had nowhere to go and no one to call his family. So I offered him a place with me. I invited him to stay with me in Hueco Mundo. But he died before it could happen."

"I'm not surprised. I hear Hollows are toxic to Quincies."

Akon then realized his causal comment might not have been the best thing to say at the moment. Even the tone was a bit inappropriate.

"You were... looking for a friend to join you."

Veneno didn't answer.

"I see. So you are lonely there."

"There are Hollows. I'm not alone. But yeah. I guess I did want the company."

Akon sighed. This was very difficult. The situation and Veneno's feelings.

"You were granted freedom, but in return you could not stay here. However, you are permitted to stay here and be with us. But if you were to do that, you have to relinquish your freedom and become Mayuri's property."

Be free and lonely, or be caged and have company. Those were his only options and they were impossible choices.

Akon was beginning to understand why that Quincy's death bothered him so much. Though they had only just met, he could have had a friend to keep him company.

"Sorry, Veneno."

"It's fine. Don't worry about it."

He tried to brush it off, but Veneno was clearly still upset about it.

"Once Ichigo is all better, he can go home. And once that happens, I have to go back to my home in Hueco Mundo. Alone."

"Again, the deal was that you couldn't live here. But you can visit anytime you like."

Veneno scoffed. "How? You guys have a device that can open a Garganta. I don't."

"No, but like I told you before. You can open one at will. It's a basic Hollow ability."

"But I don't know how to do it. That's my issue."

Akon shrugged. "Practice. Like anything else. You already have the ability. All you have to do is figure out how to use it. Then you can come visit us anytime you like. I'd welcome the visit. Especially since every time we seem to meet up there's chaos going on that needs fixing. It would be nice to meet under better circumstances."

"Yeah. But Ichigo doesn't live here either. How am I supposed to see him?"

"A Garganta works both ways. You can use it to visit the World of the Living as well."

Veneno looked up. "I can?"

"I thought you knew this," Akon told him. "How did you manage to get your clones into the World of the Living the first time we battled?"

"I just used that big door thingy all you Soul Reapers use to get there."

Akon put a hand to his forehead.

"What?"

"Nothing."

Veneno seemed more cheerful now. "In that case, then I guess I will practice until I can do it on my own."

"Great."

Veneno's cheerful expression changed again, looking around the lab. "It's weird, though. Since you brought it up."

"What?"

"About the past. What I did the first time." Veneno stretched out his legs. His feet exited the closet while the rest of his body remained hidden. "It's just weird. Isn't it? How the first time I was here, I hated it and every Soul Reaper. Now, I find myself coming to this lab because it's familiar to me. Not just familiar, but it feels like home somehow. It's weird, right?"

Akon shrugged again. "Things have changed. For the better, I think. I'm glad you feel more at ease around us. I consider that to be a good thing."

Veneno smiled. "Yeah. Heh. To think I'd actually end up missing you people."

He wondered how things would have been for Sharif if he had been given more time. He was willing to give him a chance just like Ichigo was willing to give Veneno. Perhaps things would have been different for him, too.

"Is it weird that this place feels like home to me?" asked Veneno. "Is it weird that I actually miss this closet?"

Akon turned to face him. "Are you actually considering coming back to the lab as an experiment?"

Akon knew what Veneno had to endure from the moment he was brought to the lab as a tiny Hollow is a jar. How it had effected him emotionally and psychologically. How he still hadn't recovered. How it was still effecting him. He wasn't completely over it. Though Veneno may have forgiven them for the most part, his past experiences were still effecting him to this day. Veneno still suffered from panic attacks. Akon found it hard to accept that Veneno would come back to endure even more of that torture. Was Veneno that desperate?

"I don't want you to be put through all that again," Akon told him. "We can find another-"

"No, I'm not going to become an experiment again. I'd rather be free. But I do want companionship." Veneno sighed. "So I'll just have to come here to visit. That's all."

Akon was relieved to hear it.

He had grown so fond of Veneno that he didn't want to see him suffer. Even if it was just to be with his friends. He had hoped Veneno wasn't that desperate.

However, one couldn't underestimate the lengths someone is willing to go for friendship.

Ichigo was proof enough of that. He nearly died just to protect them from a formidable threat.

If Ichigo was willing to do that, what was anyone willing to do? Even Veneno? Or Akon himself?

Akon sat against the wall again.

"So... you hungry?"

* * *

Slowly but surely, Ichigo's body began to recover. He was finally able to feed himself, but his legs wouldn't work. No matter how many times he tried, they wouldn't move. Unohana performed several tests, concluding that there was no lasting damage to his nerves or tissue. He wasn't paralyzed, but his legs were too weak to function properly. He would have to go through physical therapy.

Ichigo wanted to start immediately, but Unohana advised him to wait. His body still wasn't ready for the next step. If he forced himself now, his bones would snap. His body was still too brittle. He had to wait or risk causing further damage to himself and wait even longer to recover.

After another day, Ichigo was allowed to test his legs.

Everyone was there to offer their support. Two wooden rails on stands were place shoulder length apart in front of Ichigo. He sat between them and looked at his gathered supporters. Rukia stood closest to him to support him as he stood. Along the rails were Unohana, Isane, Hanataro, Veneno, Linnette, Victor and Cedric.

Ichigo gripped the rails tightly and tried to stand. His legs couldn't support his weight. He held himself up on arm strength alone. He tried moving his feet but they wouldn't budge. His legs were limp and weak.

"Sit back down, Ichigo," Unohana told him. "It defeats the purpose if you drag yourself along the rails with your arms. If your legs aren't working, we can't do this."

Feeling defeated, Ichigo sat down. Unohana tested his legs, scanning them and poking the soles of his feet with a pen. He could feel her poking him with her pen which was an improvement in itself. Before someone could hit his legs and he wouldn't feel it. This showed that he was getting better. Not fast enough for him, however.

Isane and Hanataro tried giving his legs a massage to help his muscles and blood-flow. Isane used her hands to bend Ichigo's legs, stretching them. She told him that this should help his legs regain their strength.

They tried again a few hours later.

Ichigo pulled himself up and tried to move his legs. His foot moved slightly, but his leg had no strength to support him.

Still, Ichigo was determined. This was already an improvement so he wanted to give it his all.

He tried and tried but his legs still wouldn't move. Unohana told him to sit down again.

Around dinnertime, Ichigo was caught rubbing his legs and moving his ankles in a circle as he had seen Isane and Hanataro do to help his legs. He tried moving his legs from side to side on his mattress. He wasn't able to do it.

"I mostly wanted him in a standing position because it would help his legs. Sitting or laying down for a long period of time can have negative effects on the lower half. Having him stand would increase blood-flow."

That was why Unohana wanted him to try to stand even though he was unable to move his legs at all before.

Isane mimicked the motion of walking with Ichigo's legs so he tried to do the same thing. Only it was a lot harder to do on himself.

After dinner, he wanted to make another attempt.

He stood at the rails again and pulled himself up.

Breathing deeply, he gave it another try.

His foot slid across the floor.

He tried moving the other one.

Success. His leg moved.

He slid one foot in front of the other.

Gasps of delight rang out. Everyone was astonished.

He couldn't step, but this was great progress. He kept sliding his feet, moving slowly down the rails. His arms were doing most of the work.

Too much, in fact. Still weak, his arms gave out and Ichigo fell forward.

He was caught by several hands.

He looked up and saw Cedric in front of him, catching him in his chest. Veneno had a hold of Ichigo's left arm while Rukia held the right. Linnette reached with both arms over the handrails, her fingertips brushing Ichigo's chest. Victor stood at his back in case he fell the other way. They all helped him stand and supported him as he slid back to the bed.

After a restful night, Ichigo tried again, bright and early. Though he still wanted to try that same evening, that determination didn't keep him up all night as he thought it would. He was actually able to sleep rather well, pleased at the progress he made and exhausted by it as well.

He stood between the rails and pulled himself up. It was the same as before. All these motions were the same, but he was determined to change one thing. He was going to make it without falling this time.

He slid his foot forward. Then the other one. The first one again.

Then a step. He stepped. It was his first step.

Confidence rising, he moved his leg a little further.

The group followed his every step, moving slowly along the rails on either side of him.

He was halfway there. This was where he had fallen last time. He took another step. Now this was the furthest he had ever been.

His legs were starting to ache. His arms were weakening.

He pushed forward. He would make it to the end this time. He would.

He was almost there.

Ichigo stopped to catch his breath. His arms shook, supporting his weight. He had no idea learning to walk again would be so taxing. He took a deep breath and continued.

He looked forward to see how close he was to the end. Just a few more steps.

Cedric stood at the end, waiting for him.

"Walk to me, Ichigo," he said. "Walk to me."

Like a mother coaxing her child, Cedric gave Ichigo all the encouragement he needed to move forward. Like an infant taking their first steps, he followed Cedric's voice, picking up the pace.

"That's it. Almost there."

Just another few inches. Ichigo stepped and stepped again. His fingers reached the end of the railing. He took one final step and collapsed in Cedric's arms, panting heavily.

He did it. He made it the whole way without falling.

Applause and praise filled his ears.

"You did it, Ichigo!"

"Well done."

Ichigo still couldn't stand on his own, so he supported himself against Cedric as he turned to smile at them.

They helped him back to his bed and sat him down. Ichigo wiped the sweat from his brow. "I didn't think it'd be that hard," he said. Walking always came so easily and now he was breaking a sweat after a dozen steps; which was only halfway across.

"You did well, Ichigo," Unohana praised him. "Eventually you'll be able to do it without the rails. But that's not for some time. You need to rest before doing it again. Don't do too much at once."

He wanted to do it again. He wanted to improve and do better on his next attempt. He felt accomplished already. One major hurdle down.

As much as he wanted to try it again and do better, he knew he needed to rest. He felt so tired already.

He walked only a few feet but it was enough to deplete his energy. After a drink of water, Ichigo took a nap on the bed for a good part of the morning.

* * *

Byakuya hadn't seen Rukia for some time. Knowing how concerned she was about Ichigo's state, he had a feeling she would be in the sickbay tending to him. Curious, he went to check on Ichigo's condition and see how his sister was doing at the same time.

As he approached the door, he took notice of the man standing in front of it, peering through the window.

"Cedric?"

He glanced in Byakuya's direction. "Hi."

Unsure of why Cedric was standing outside the room instead of entering, Byakuya stood beside him and looked into the room.

Inside, Ichigo was making another attempt to walk with the railings. Rukia stood behind him as a spotter, her steps matching his. Linnette and Veneno stood at the end, acting as his cheerleaders. Unohana and Victor watched his progress from the side. Ichigo was moving more confidently than before. He took slow precise steps, but he was stepping more, which was a marked improvement. Before he could only slide his feet along the ground but now he could take small steps. He was getting faster, too. However, he still needed to use the rails.

"Go, go, Ichigo! Go, go, Ichigo!" Linnette chanted, cheering him on.

"Maybe if I dangle chocolate on a string, he'll move faster," suggested Veneno.

"Shut up," Ichigo said with a laugh. "You'd probably eat it first."

"Only if you take too long."

Byakuya smiled slightly at the scene. He was proud of Ichigo's progress and of his devotion. Both to his recovery and to his friends. Byakuya was also pleased at the sight before him. To see so many people helping Ichigo and showing their care was heartwarming.

His smile soon faded as he turned to Cedric.

Cedric was also watching the scene take place with a loving gaze. It was unclear who he was watching, but Byakuya had a feeling it was Linnette.

"I'm surprised you're not inside with them."

"Here is fine," Cedric answered. "I was in there before. I didn't want to crowd him too much. He doesn't need as much help as he did before."

"That's good. His strength is returning. Soon he'll be strong enough to return home."

"Yes." Cedric's voice had grown distant. His focus was unmistakably on Linnette this time. He was watching her cheer on Ichigo as he moved down the rails.

"She's grown since last we met," Byakuya told him. "I can tell. She left the Seireitei to help Ichigo."

"She didn't ask us to leave with her." Cedric continued to look at Linnette through the window. "She took it upon herself this time."

Byakuya turned to him.

"I know why she did it," Cedric went on. "She knew Victor was helping to find a cure to save Ichigo. If she brought him along, a cure wouldn't have been found so quickly. She didn't want to hinder the mission, I guess you could say. As for me... She knew the enemy would be coming back, so she left us here to help protect the Soul Reapers. She wanted you to have protection. That was why she didn't ask us for help."

"Instead she took three Vizard Captains to assist her."

"She can't run very fast and she can't fight. She's had no training. She knew she needed help. She took them because she knew she could use her powers on them and give them an excuse to help Ichigo. Since they weren't in their right minds when they left the area, which they were forbidden to do, it wasn't of their own choosing. Technically, it was kidnapping."

"Hm. She's a clever girl. What she lacks, she makes up for in other ways." Byakuya wasn't very close to Linnette and didn't know that much about her, but he could tell that she had grown. "She managed to fabricate such a plan all on her own."

"That's what has me troubled," Cedric admitted. "I was telling the young Captain that earlier when he mentioned his surprise at finding me without Linnette."

"Oh?"

Cedric continued to watch Linnett as he answered. "She's become more independent. She didn't call us once during all that time on the other side of that wall. And that's what worries me."

There was a deep sadness in Cedric's loving eyes.

"We were created by her, for her. We've always been there for her. Helping her. Taking care of her. But it is also our job to help her grow as well. We're proud when she takes the next step. But at the same time, it's painful. Every step she takes is another step away from us."

Victor and Cedric had both become parents to her. They were always a family, but neither one was her father. However, they took on parent roles. They took care of her, protected her and taught her many things. A parent's job was to raise the child and prepare them for the world so they could take care of themselves. Even though they were not her parents, in a way they were. They had the same role to play.

Linnette had started to do more things on her own. Either out of curiosity or the sheer fun of it, and they allowed it. They helped her. If she wanted to cook a meal on her own, they would allow it. If she wanted to make her bed on her own, they would allow it. Before they did everything for her. She never had to lift a finger. Now the bed was made without wrinkles, but few of her meals were edible.

However, one day, she would prepare a dish that was not only edible but tasty.

What then?

What would they do? Where would they be?

Cedric watched Linnette jump up and down as Ichigo made it to the end of the railings. He started to turn around and go back the way he came, which he hadn't done before. He was getting stronger. Linnette ran to the other side and started cheering again.

"She has gotten stronger. She's doing more on her own. And that's what worries me." Cedric looked down and said sadly, "What if she doesn't need us anymore?"

What was their purpose if she no longer needed them? She created them because she needed them. Because she wanted a family. What would become of them if she no longer needed them?

"Does she love you?"

Cedric turned his head. "Hm?"

Byakuya wasn't looking at him when he repeated the question. "Does she love you? It's clear that you two love her. Does she love you?"

Cedric paused, taking the question very seriously.

"She tells us so all the time. She shows her affection in many ways. She shows concern for us if we are ever harmed. So, yes. I believe she does."

"So she loves you?"

"Yes."

Byakuya folded his arms. "Then she'll always need you." He turned and walked away.

Cedric watched him leave in silence, letting his words sink in.

Then he smiled.

He had nothing to worry about.

* * *

Please review! ^-^


	41. Chapter 41

**Chapter 41:**

Ichigo opened his eyes and looked at the ceiling. The room was dark and quiet. He fell asleep before dinner and hadn't woken up until now. Strangely enough, he wasn't hungry. Just tired.

He turned his head and noticed Rukia standing by the window. She had her back turned, looking outside at the night sky.

Ichigo struggled to get up. His body was sore and heavy. He sat up and swung his legs over the edge of the bed where they dangled. He picked up a pair of crutches which were left beside his bed for him to use since he was still unable to walk on his own. He rose off the bed and used the crutches to hobble over to Rukia.

"Can't sleep?" he asked her as he stood behind her.

Rukia spun around. "You shouldn't be out of bed. You can't-"

"I'm alright. Besides, I'm getting stiff laying in bed all day. I could use the exercise."

"At least sit down." Rukia pulled over a chair for him.

"I'm fine," he insisted. After a while, however, his body started to feel shaky so he took the chair offered to him. He sat down, facing the window. "It's a nice night."

"It is." Rukia faced the window.

Ichigo leaned the crutches against the wall beside the window. It was a beautiful night. There were no clouds but not every star was visible. The stars he could see twinkled beside the crescent moon and above the buildings which partly obstructed his view. There were no lights in the buildings, hinting that everyone had gone to bed.

"How are you feeling?" Rukia asked him softly.

"Better. But I'm a little sore."

"Hm."

"I spend most of my time sleeping."

"You need rest. Don't fight it."

"I'm not. I'm just pointing it out."

It was a minute before Ichigo spoke again.

"What happened to Uryu? He said some things after he brought down Yagi but I passed out before I could hear it all. What happened after that?"

He knew Uryu wasn't here, otherwise he would have seen him. Still, he wanted to know.

"He returned to the World of the Living," she told him. "After he made sure you were taken care of, he left. He didn't say much else after that. Just that he came here on a mission and once it was done there was no longer a reason for him to stay."

"So he came all this way just to help me out? How did he even know I was in trouble?"

"Victor told me," she explained. "He was in the lab at the time Mayuri called Kisuke to assist him in finding a cure. Uryu happened to be eavesdropping at the time. Apparently he was in the room when Mayuri called. He overheard what happened to you. I guess he made it his mission to come all the way here to help out."

Ichigo looked at the stars. "That was nice of him."

"Oh, please."

"What?" He looked at her.

"Now you're just making small talk."

"Just responding."

Rukai scoffed.

"What?"

"It's what you're saying."

"What am I saying?"

"Never mind."

"What?"

"Never mind."

Ichigo looked back at the sky and Rukia did the same.

"Uryu felt that Yagi wasn't a true Quincy. Committing those crimes and such. And being a Quincy himself, I think Uryu felt it was his responsibility to be the one to bring Yagi down and help you out," Rukai told him. "But I also think he did it because he wanted to help out a friend. After hearing what had happened, he wanted to come here to help you out. It wasn't just about Yagi being a Quincy. But you know how he is. He's too proud."

"He was just looking for an excuse," Ichigo concluded. "Since helping a Soul Reaper is taboo, he had to come up with a reason to help me and everyone here. So he focused on Yagi and the things he's done. That was his excuse."

"Well, can we really be sure why he did it?" asked Rukia. "Maybe it was both. Maybe it was just the one reason but he was covering it up with another. Who knows?"

"It's like when we had to rescue Orihime. He said he wasn't fighting alongside Soul Reapers. He just happened to be going to the same place in order to rescue a human. That was his excuse. He found a loophole." Ichigo rolled his eyes. "That guy..."

"At least he came through for us. The way he does things might annoy you, but at least we know where is loyalties lie. We can count on him. That's what's important."

It was true. Uryu could have just left Ichigo to die. He could have overheard the conversation and done nothing. Or worse, he could have joined Yagi's team and helped him wipe out the Soul Reapers. They could have teamed up to finish Ichigo off once and for all.

"Glad he showed up when he did," said Ichigo, "but did he have to leave so quick? I mean, he just appeared then disappeared. He could have at least stayed for a few minutes."

"He knew you were in good hands. And if he defeated his intended target, why would he bother to stay?"

"There's a good chance people like his father wouldn't approve anyway if he did stick around for a bit."

At least he came to his rescue. A Quincy came to save a Soul Reaper.

"Loyalty to your own kind. Tch!" Ichigo scoffed. "Just about every one of my friends happens to be different. And you guys are some of the most loyal people I know. Yagi had some crazy ideas."

When Ichigo opened his eyes, he saw his friends. Soul Reaper, human, Quincy, Vizard, Arrancar, all gathered together to make sure he was alright. All concerned, all glad to see him alive, all willing to fight for him.

"Yagi was all about self-preservation," said Rukia. "He only cared about himself. He didn't understand the meaning of self-sacrifice. He used people. People are tools in his eyes. Can you blame him for saying such things?"

"He was pretty screwed up... But... I understand," Ichigo admitted. "No one wants to die. The saying 'better him than me' makes sense, you know? It means something. So him choosing to use others in his place makes sense."

As long as he lived, Yagi did not care who had to die. He would use people as a shield. Whether it be a stranger in town or an ally who was loyal to him, it didn't matter. He would do it to anyone.

"Maybe he just didn't understand love."

Rukia shrugged. "I think he was messed up. He blamed an entire race for something that happened to him as a child. We don't know the whole story. Maybe no one called for help and that's why no one came. We can't help if we don't know about it. Maybe help was sent their way but the group got attacked before they could reach Yagi's family. Who knows? But what Yagi did was inexcusable. He was attacking people who weren't even involved. How were academy graduates involved? How were they to blame? As far as I'm concerned, it's childish thinking. Too broad."

"I know, I know. I mean, look at the company we keep. We're friends with a Quincy. And that same Quincy attacked his own people. We've had to fight Arrancars, but we're also friends with Arrancars. We're Soul Reapers, but we've also been betrayed by Soul Reapers."

"Exactly," Rukia said with a nod. "Judge the person, not the race. If only Yagi had thought that way, things might have been different. But I'm not sure. Even if it wasn't an attack out of anger, Yagi still attacked, so... If it's not one thing, it's another."

"You're saying he would have found another reason to fight us?"

"It's possible. Having his family attacked by Hollows might have been what tipped the scale. A part of me thinks he would have done this anyway. I really haven't a clue. He could have been using his past as an excuse. But being a Quincy and the things he's said, something tells me that a majority of this attack was built on race. He just thinks we're too different."

"The guy had issues," said Ichigo. "I don't think we can come up with a single solitary reason for him to do what he did. I think everything had some role to play. Even his personality."

"Could be."

Ichigo sighed. "I tried to get through to him several times but it didn't work."

"Ichigo, you couldn't reason with a guy like that. Yagi was-"

"I know. I still tried."

Ichigo leaned back in his chair. He looked at the sky and remembered what he had to endure. He remembered the things he said to Yagi and to his followers. Most of all, he remembered those memories.

"Rukia... While I was unconscious, I had dreams of... Well, memories, actually. Of you guys. Of a bunch of things. Things I had forgotten. I had no idea why I was seeing those memories but I figured it out when I battled Yagi for the last time."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. Every memory had something to do with love. That was the common theme to everything I recalled. When I faced Yagi again and heard him say the things he said... I realized the difference between us and how we thought even more. Most of all, I realized why I had to keep fighting. Why I do what I do."

Rukia turned away from the window. "You're not going to start rambling, are you?"

Ichigo chuckled. "No. It was just something I realized."

What his friends were willing to go through for him and what he was willing to do for them.

What anyone was willing to do for the ones they love.

"Even when it was staring Yagi in the face, he still didn't see it. How that one Quincy cared so much for him, he was willing to throw himself in front of an attack to save him. He was willing to save Yagi at the cost of his own life. And still Yagi doesn't understand."

"He understood well enough to use it against you," said Rukia. "He attacked Linnette and threatened us knowing you would come to our aid. He must understand to some degree."

"He might understand but he doesn't get it. He sees it as a weakness." Ichigo looked out the window again. "But after what I've seen and remembered, I can't possibly consider it a weakness. Sure, he managed to trap me with it, but I was able to fight my hardest as well."

Rukia thought back to Linnette bravely leaving her protectors behind in order to search for Ichigo and how Veneno was willing to stab himself just to inflict injury on Yagi. How they both sacrificed in order to help a friend. Even Linnette leaving Victor and Cedric behind was a form of protecting them so neither of them would get hurt unnecessarily. She cared about them. Even if they couldn't die from injury, as far as she knew, she still didn't want to see them hurt. She had also left them behind to help protect the Soul Reapers in case the enemy returned. Victor was able to help find a cure and Cedric was able to gather up injured Soul Reapers because of this.

The Soul Reapers could have called for help but after seeing their men fall. They opted not to in order to save lives during the Quincy attack. Kira could have simply run away or pretended the mirror did affect him and lay on the ground to avoid a fight. Instead he fought. The Captains could have come at Ichigo seriously and killed him to end the fight but didn't. Even Kensei wasn't willing to follow orders. He didn't attack, not because of Linnette's command, but because he cared. He didn't want to harm a friend. He also saw a piece of himself and all the other Vizards in Ichigo at that moment. He couldn't go through with it.

She smiled, remembering. "Yeah. We fought our hardest, too." She chuckled. "It was nice, though."

"What was?"

"Having to rescue you for a change. You're always risking yourself for us, fighting for us... For once, we get to save you. It was nice."

Ichigo snorted.

"What?" she chuckled.

"Eh."

She giggled.

Ichigo continued to look at the sky.

"Rukia?"

"Yeah?"

"We already established that having love can make you strong to do things to protect those you care about."

"Uh-huh."

"But there was something else Yagi had said. He said the only reason you guys care is because I'm a useful tool. It's my power that makes me valuable to you. To lose that would be a great loss to you guys. That it has nothing to do with me. I'm just someone you can manipulate and use because of my personality and skills."

"And you believe that?"

"Of course not."

"Then why bring it up?"

Ichigo shrugged. "Well, it would explain why I'm tolerated around here."

It was Rukia's turn to snort.

"What?"

"Nothing." She faced the window.

They both watched the moon make its way slowly to another building. Time was ticking by.

"It's true that you're strong and that's why we need you around. But you're a good guy, too. And to be honest, I don't think it's that you're tolerated. I think it's just the fact that we like you."

"Even you, Rukia?"

"Of course. We're friends, right?"

"Yeah." Ichigo smirked. "But my closest has been a lot quieter lately."

"I could come back for a visit."

"No, thanks. I like changing clothes without worrying about who's going to pop out of that thing. I like my privacy."

"Oh, like you have anything to show off."

Ichigo whacked her with his crutch.

"What?" she laughed.

"You're taking advantage of me being in this state too much. Enough with the teasing."

"I embarrassed you," she said smugly.

"I'll hit you with this. I swear."

Rukia took a large step to the right. "Try it."

Now the crutch wouldn't reach.

"Oh, ha ha. Very funny."

She giggled again.

Ichigo folded his arms. "Remind me again why I risked my life for this?"

From the doorway, Victor smiled, watching them.

He was thinking of replacing Ichigo's flowers with fresh ones, but came without them. He decided he didn't need an excuse to check on Ichigo's condition.

Seeing Ichigo chatting with a friend was enough to reassure him.

He silently walked away with a smile on his face.

"Ichigo... Thank you."

For being there for Linnette and for helping her in more ways than one. For helping them in ways they had not realized. For helping them change. For forgiving them.

"Thank you for giving me a chance."

* * *

CLACK!

"Ahh!" Another Soul Reaper was thrown through the wall of the dojo.

"For crying out loud, we just got finished repairing that wall after the Captain's last lesson."

"Take it easy, Venny."

"Ha ha! Sorry." Veneno rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

"Guess you're feeling better."

"Tons. Let me show you just how much." Veneno got into another fighting stance. "Who's next?"

"I'll go a round with you." Ikkaku stood up.

The other Soul Reapers backed away.

"Oh, I don't think I've faced you before, have I?" asked Veneno.

"You're so busy dealing with these weaklings you've never had the chance. I'll show you what's what." Ikkaku picked up the wooden sword Veneno's last opponent had dropped while sailing into the wall.

"Ok, let's go."

Veneno came swinging sideways at Ikkau's neck. Ikkaku blocked and spun, kicking Veneno in the stomach. As he stumbled back, Ikkaku brought the sword down over his head. Veneno blocked. Their wooden sword locked together.

"Whoa, you're good," commented Veneno.

"Not so bad yourself."

They forced themselves apart and came at each other swinging. Their sword clacked together numerous times before shattering. Several men ducked as pieces came flying at their heads. Veneno and Ikkaku got replacement swords and continued their match.

"I think they're a little too into this..."

"Ya think?"

Veneno and Ikkaku took diagonal swings at each other and locked swords again. Their swords rattled in their hands. They pulled apart and swung again. Veneno jumped and flipped over Ikkaku's back, attacking from behind. Ikkaku threw his sword over his shoulder to block the attack, then spun around and shoved Veneno away. He struck low and Veneno jumped. They clashed and broke apart, retreating to opposite sides of the dojo. Then they charged at each other, swords raised high.

Hisagi wandered through the yard and over to the dojo. "What's all the racket? You guys still training?"

"Well, sort of. More watching, actually."

"Who's fighting?"

Everyone pointed at the Arrancar putting Ikkaku in a headlock.

"Cheating! You're cheating!" Ikkaku choked. "It's a sword-fight, dammit."

"All's fair, right?"

"Use the damn sword!"

"Fine." Veneno used his wooden sword to spank Ikkaku while he held him in the headlock.

"Ow! Stop it!"

"I'm using the sword!"

By this time, the onlooking Soul Reapers stopped cowering and started laughing. This match was a lot less intense now and had become very silly. Veneno was no longer taking the match seriously which made watching a lot more fun. Especially now that they didn't have to worry about pieces of wood to come flying at their heads or watch for airborne bodies.

Hisagi snickered. "Looks like they're having fun. Oh, that reminds me... Captain and I were doing a little barbecue and wanted to know if any of you guys were interested."

"Food?" At the mention of barbecue, Veneno put the match on hold and dropped Ikkaku on the floor. "Where? When?"

"Uh..."

Ikkaku stood up and pointed his sword at Veneno's back. "Are you quitting already? I thought you wanted to finish." He just wanted an excuse to club Veneno over the head for making light of their match. And for spanking him with a wooden sword in front of everyone.

"I forfeit the match. I'm hungry."

"You can't just quit. Wuss."

"I'll kick your ass later. So where's this barbecue?"

Hisagi pointed over his shoulder. "The Captain and I were..."

Veneno was already off.

The members of Squad 11 sighed heavily. "That guy's got a one track mind."

"Yeah. He's like a bottomless pit. I've seen how much he can eat. You'd better get over there, Hisagi, before he eats everything."

"He couldn't really eat everything, could he?"

"I saw him eat coal."

"You did not."

"I wouldn't put it past him."

* * *

Ichigo lifted himself into a sitting position. He had spent the entire morning asleep. After talking to Rukia for an hour last night, Ichigo found himself nodding off in his chair. Rukia helped him back into bed where he slept until the afternoon. When he woke up, he was very hungry. The nurses brought him food and checked his healing progress. He was recovering quite well. They suggested he might be able to try walking without the crutches very soon.

Today, Ichigo's appetite was very big. He asked for seconds and thirds and still wasn't satisfied. Unohana took this as a very good sign.

"His body is recovering nicely. Eating this much will give him energy and strengthen him even more. It's a sure sign he's on the right path."

"So his body is making up for lost time I guess you could say."

"Correct. He's on the mend, no doubt. Let him eat as much as he wants."

Ichigo grinned. "I might just take you up on that offer," he said.

Hanataro filled Ichigo's bowl with more rice. "Did you want some soup or something?"

"Bring it if you got it." Ichigo lifted the bowl to his chin. "I feel like I can and will eat anything."

Everyone was happy to see this. They were so thrilled, they brought Ichigo anything he asked for.

"Took his body long enough to respond in this way. The past couple of days, he's had a bunch of small meals and slept for hours."

"Maybe that's why his body is responding this way. Maybe he didn't eat enough and now that he's recovering, his appetite is..."

"More, please!" Ichigo held out his empty bowl.

Unohana smiled. "We'll get to his therapy once he's done eating. For the time being, let him stuff himself."

"Not too much or his stomach will pop," Isane worried.

* * *

Veneno walked down the street casually eating a drumstick. He had a lot to eat at the barbecue but his thoughts went from his meal to his friend in the sickbay. Wondering how Ichigo was doing, Veneno left the festivities to check on him.

"Hopefully he's not sleeping like usual." Veneno tore off another chuck of meat with his teeth.

If Ichigo was fully recovered, then he would have no reason to stay in the Soul Society. Neither would Veneno for that matter. Once Ichigo left, Veneno would have to do the same and return to Hueco Mundo.

While Veneno wished for Ichigo's recovery, he was saddened by it as well. Only because of what it meant for him. He found Hueco Mundo very comfortable, but it was also very lonely. The food wasn't as good there, either. Hisagi really knew how to grill a steak. His rice balls weren't bad either. Veneno was going to miss the food here. And the company.

He stopped walking when he saw a slender figure in his path. Linnette was looking up at him with Cedric close behind.

"Turkey?" Veneno asked, offering her his half-eaten drumstick.

"I'm good."

Veneno stripped more meat off the bone. "What's up?" he asked with his mouth full.

"Ichigo can get around on crutches now," she announced.

"That's good. Means he's recovering well." Veneno took another bite of meat. "Guess that means he'll be going home soon."

"Us, too." Linnette tilted her head to the side. "And you? What about you?"

Veneno held the drumstick to his mouth but didn't bite. "I'll be going, too."

"Where?"

"I've got a place in Hueco Mundo. You were there, remember?"

"You like it there?"

"Yeah. Sand's cool."

"Isn't it lonely?"

Veneno looked away with a shrug. "Sometimes."

"Any friends?"

He paused. "Most of them are here. But I'm not allowed to stay in the Soul Society. I can visit, but I can't stay."

"So you don't have anyone in Hueco Mundo?"

"I've chatted with a couple but they're not very interesting. I thought I could make a friend and bring them back with me but..."

"The Quincy. You mean Sharif, right?"

Veneno took a bite of his turkey leg.

"I'm sorry," she said sympathetically.

"Eh. I only knew him for a day. I would have liked to know more about him but... It's fine."

He was still upset about it but put on a brave front. He pretended it wasn't a big deal but inside he was still sad.

Linnette gave him a sweet smile and asked, "Want to come live with us?"

Veneno's teeth sank into the meat and stayed there, frozen. His wide eyes fell on her and that sweet innocent smile.

Veneno opened his mouth, removing the drumstick. "You're... asking me to stay with you?"

She nodded. "Uh-huh. Why not? We have a house and plenty of food. You can stay in Victor and Cedric's room. They never use it. And no one but us can see you so no one will notice."

Veneno wasn't expecting such an invitation.

Live with Linnette and those two men? Could he really do such a thing? The World of the Living couldn't have been too different from the Soul Society. Both were different from Hueco Mundo. Each location and pluses and minuses. If he stayed with them, he would have three people to help combat his loneliness. Linnette wasn't so bad for a human. Those two men could snap him in half, but if Linnette wanted him there they wouldn't touch him. It was a safe bet, at least.

Veneno smiled. "Thanks. But no."

"Oh..."

Linnette looked disappointed but behind her Cedric looked relieved. After dealing with several Soul Reapers using their home as a vacation residence, it was safe to say that Cedric wasn't too keen on the idea of having an extra person living with them. Not if he could expect their house guest to act like those Soul Reapers. It was a living nightmare.

Either that or Cedric didn't want to put up with Veneno's poor table manners.

"Why not?" Linnette asked Veneno. "I thought you didn't like being lonely. If you're with us, you won't have to be."

Veneno put a hand to his hip and pointed the drumstick at her with the other hand. "I don't think the World of the Living is the place for me. Not a good fit, you know? Besides, I've made a home in Hueco Mundo. I like it there."

"Even if you get lonely?"

Veneno scoffed. "Ah, it's no big deal. There are Hollows there. And if any of them are threats, I'm strong enough to take care of myself now. I'm fine. Really."

"You sure?"

"And besides, I was looking to do some training. If I lived with you guys, I'd keep getting distracted. I don't really belong there anyway. But as soon as I complete my training, I'll be able to come visit you. Ichigo, too, as a matter of fact."

Linnette nodded in understanding. "Ok. I can accept that. You can do what you want. The offer still stands if you ever change your mind."

Veneno grinned. "Thanks for that."

At least he had options. He didn't really want to live in the World of the Living, but he was thankful for the invite. If he had nowhere else to go, he could always take her up on the offer. He was just humbled someone asked him.

"Do you know how Ichigo is doing?" he asked her.

"He's sleeping."

"Ok. I'll check on him later. See ya." Veneno flashed away to a place unknown.

Linnette turned to look at Cedric. "You think he's off to do some of that training he was talking about?"

"Could be. Or perhaps he's checking on Ichigo right now."

"I hope whatever he's training for goes well. Veneno's really come a long way. I hope he's happy."

"He seems to be when he's around others. Or when he's eating."

Linnette giggled.

* * *

Akon entered the lab, finding his Captain hard at work as usual. He had his back turned but Akon spoke to him anyway.

"Everyone is grateful for the cure you came up with. You have everyone's thanks for saving Ichigo, sir."

"It wasn't just me. Victor assisted me and so did that... Kisuke..." He said the name through clenched teeth. He wasn't too happy about asking him for help. It was insulting.

Having Kisuke assist him brought him no satisfaction. As far as he was concerned, it wasn't his cure. Not if he required help from that man. Though it was his own modifications that ultimately created the cure, he still took little satisfaction.

"Victor thanked me before as well." Mayuri snorted. "It doesn't take a genius to know that man doesn't care for me, so being thanked by him is very odd. Just feels weird."

"He's glad you saved Ichigo. I'm sure he was doing right by thanking you. What's fair is fair, right? That sort of thing."

"If he wanted to thank me so much, he should have allowed me to run some more tests on him. He and that Cedric fellow insist there is nothing more to collect. That I've already seen it all. I'm not convinced. I'm sure there's more to them."

Akon folded his arms. "What about Linnette? She's the one who created them in the first place. She might hold some answers. Her voice alone..."

Mayuri scoffed. "That girl isn't very interesting to me. I like human experimentation as much as the next brilliant mind, but to me she is utterly boring. What would I have to gain?"

"I thought her voice was rather interesting."

"It's so limited and simple. Now that we know it only works on low class Hollows, we can see just how limited it is."

"But it can be versatile, Captain," Akon pointed out. "She was able to manipulate the Captains. She made them help her out. It even partially worked on that one Quincy who was reconstructed using Hollow parts."

"Limited. She's fairly easy to figure out, therefore she holds no real interest. Her singing is for wide range and for bending them to her will the first time around. Speaking is for close range targets and ones who have already heard her voice before. She's basically planting a seed with her song and the seed then takes root, allowing her speaking voice to work the way that it does. See how simple it is? Utterly boring."

"That may be, but what about her ability to produce two men such as Victor and Cedric from nothing?"

Mayuri sat down in a chair and set a wrench down on the table. "I've concluded that they're manifestations of her spirit. If she were a Soul Reaper, those two would be her Zanpakuto. Which would also explain why they started to fade when she was near death. They're linked."

Akon looked down, thoughtfully. "So... in a way... Those two are basically..." Akon looked at his Captain. "So she's split her soul into separate entities? Is that it?"

"Not exactly. Her soul is intact. But those two are a piece of her. In a way. They're manifestations... Oh, why am I explaining this? It's boring, like I said. The girl is not very interesting in my opinion. I've already got her figured out so there isn't much else to think about. She's no mystery to me."

Could Mayuri have really figured everything out about Linnette? He already had an answer for how her two protectors came into being and what they were. He also explained what her powers were in a very simplified manner. Could that really have been it? He knew everything about her? Every answer taken care of?

Akon thought of something else.

"What about her losing her powers when she kissed Ichigo?"

Mayuri swiveled around in his chair. "What?"

"Yeah, I heard about that. It's not well-known. I heard about it from someone who was there and watched it happen. She had used her voice and brought Ichigo's inner Hollow to the surface and she kissed him. When she had done that, she lost her singing powers. Victor and Cedric had also vanished for a time but came back a little later. But she still couldn't sing. Then she kissed Ichigo when he was a Soul Reaper, I think, and her singing powers came back."

Mayuri's eyes had grown wide.

He jumped to his feet. "Why didn't anyone mention this before?"

"I just heard about it recently myself. Why? I thought..."

He thought Mayuri already had an answer for this.

He didn't know.

Mayuri put a finger to his chin, thoughtfully. "Hmm. Perhaps she's more interesting than I initially thought. Perhaps I should look into this a little deeper."

A grin spread across Mayuri's face.

"Very interesting."

* * *

Just a couple chapters left.

Please review! ^-^


	42. Chapter 42

**Chapter 42:**

It was time. It was time to walk without the crutches. Without the railings. Without any help at all.

Ichigo was excited and focused. He wanted to achieve this. It wouldn't be easy, but he had to do it.

He sat on the edge of his bed and looked straight ahead. His goal was that chair sitting against the opposite wall. It was only a few feet away but in his weakened state it might as well have been a mile.

Several people were there to offer their support; and to catch him if he fell.

The first task was standing without the crutches. He still needed help getting up. Doing it without assistance was going to be a challenge, but it was something he had to do. Not because he was told but because it was what he had to do.

Ichigo tried standing but it was too difficult. He used the bedside table for support and stood up. Now he just had to walk.

Standing was painful. His body seemed to be weighing down on his knees and ankles. Was his body really that heavy? No, it was just because his legs were so weak. He hadn't walked without help before now. He had to get used to this again.

Taking a deep breath, Ichigo slid his foot forward. He wasn't going to take a step just yet. He just wanted to get a feel for this to start. When he remained upright for the first few slides, he tried stepping.

It was a short step and quick, but he remained standing. He stepped again and almost fell. He kept himself balanced by bending his knees and holding his arms out.

Everyone rushed forward when he started to wobble, but Ichigo told them he was fine. He regained his balance and stood up. He took another step. Then another.

His ankles ached. His knees felt shaky.

If he could walk across the room on crutches then he could walk halfway without them. He kept telling himself this. He wasn't about to give up.

Keeping his arms out for balance, he stepped slowly across the room. He looked like a baby learning to walk.

The chair was in sight. He stepped a little faster, wanting to reach his destination. He couldn't get there fast enough.

When the chair was just within reach, he took two large steps and threw himself into the seat.

Ichigo panted and stretched out his legs, resting. For a moment, he was worried he wouldn't make it to the chair. His legs felt like they were going to fall off.

"You did great, Ichigo."

He gave a weak grin. He wanted to lie down again. He felt tired.

"Think you can walk back to the bed?"

"I think he'll need some help. Looks like that distance took a lot out of him."

Ichigo sat on the edge of the chair, putting his feet flat on the floor. "No, I'm good. I'll walk back on my own. I can do it."

He was helped into a standing position and then walked back to his bed. His walk to the bed was faster than the walk to his chair. This may have been because he desperately wanted to rest.

After he was back in bed, he was rewarded with something to eat and drink.

An hour later, Ichigo tried again.

This time, he was able to walk without stumbling. It was slow, but he made it.

"He's doing excellent," praised Unohana. "Just don't push yourself too hard."

Ichigo nodded. "I'm alright. I'll rest after this. Don't worry."

He knew if he didn't rest every now and then, Unohana would tie him to the bed.

* * *

While Ichigo was busy with his walking exercises, Veneno was busy with his own training.

He had no idea how to open a Garganta, but he hadn't stopped trying for the past several hours. He tried everything he could think of. He focused his energy until he thought he was going to black out. Finally, Veneno sat on the ground to catch his breath.

"Maybe I should go back to Hueco Mundo and ask for help from someone who already knows how to do it. Like another Hollow."

Being able to open one should have been second nature to him. Why was it so hard? Why didn't he know how to do it?

He felt a presence and looked up.

Linnette had brought him a basket of food and some water to drink. After placing them on the ground, she turned and started to walk away.

"Don't want to keep me company for a while?" he asked.

Linnette stopped and turned. "I didn't think you wanted to be bothered. You're so busy training, I thought I'd be in your way."

"I can take a five minute break."

They sat on the ground and shared the food Linnette brought.

"So how's it coming?" she asked him.

"Eh."

"It's ok. My abilities didn't happen over night. It took time. Finding out about being able to just speak in order to control Hollows and then be able to use it took almost two years. I still don't think I have it perfected."

Veneno gave her a sidewards glance and asked, "How'd you figure out you could do that? The Hollow stuff."

Linnette held a muffin in her lap with both hands. "It was an accident. Just by chance, really."

She remembered her past. Though there were plenty of things she would like to forget, they were important. Anything and everything that ever happened to her was important. Even the things she hated.

"Back when I was a kid, Victor and Cedric took me in and became my family. They wanted to give me anything I wanted and they wanted to make sure I got plenty of attention. I was a rising star back then."

"A what?" Veneno asked.

"They wanted me to be a famous singer. I liked the idea so I went along with it." Linnette rotated the muffin in her hands. "Because singers got a lot of attention and adoring fans. I wanted to be loved so becoming a star seemed like a good idea."

After being alone for so long, surrounded by people who either never took notice of her or by those who told her she would never be loved, she wanted to feel like she was. She wanted to be loved. She wanted people to care about her.

"I sang in small local places at first. Things like fairs and things like that. One day a Hollow showed up while I was singing. It didn't attack. Just listened. I didn't know it was a Hollow at the time. It was my first time seeing one. Victor and Cedric noticed that the Hollows were hostile except when I was singing. So we experimented. We discovered that I could command them. And that's basically how it went."

Veneno took a drink of water before saying, "I was hoping for something more interesting. So that's it, huh?"

"Well, I thought it was pretty cool."

"So do you still have a singing career?"

She shook her head. "No. We gave up on that. As much as I loved having crowds of people like me, I wasn't really very happy. It was fun while it lasted. But I realized that those adoring fans knew nothing about me other than the fact that I was a singer. They didn't know my hobbies or favorite color or anything. And they never stuck around. Most people moved on to the next big thing and no longer bothered with my music. I'm much happier having a few good friends who know and care about me than adoring fans."

Veneno rested his chin on his hand. "Yeah. I can understand that."

"It was only after I met Ichigo that I realized that," Linnette said with a smile. "I mean, I always had a feeling that maybe what I was doing wasn't right, but because Victor and Cedric told me it was, I pushed those feelings down until I couldn't really feel them anymore. At least not as much as I was. Then I met Ichigo and he talked to me and was nice to me and I decided to change."

"Hm."

"Well, I did feel bad. The way we met involved me kidnapping him."

Veneno turned his head to look at her more closely. He never thought Linnette would be capable of such a thing. Not this sweet young girl. It was something outside of her personality.

Noticing his look, Linnette added, "I only did that because I was afraid he'd leave me. I was lonely and wanted a friend. That's why I did it."

Veneno looked away with a sigh. "I hear ya."

He knew why she did it. He understood.

"But I felt bad so... I knew it was wrong and..." Linnette sighed. "Well, that's in the past now. I took Ichigo's advice and I'm a lot happier because of it."

"Hm."

"There's more to it than that. I'm just summarizing."

"That's fine. I get it."

Veneno reached into the basket for more food but it was empty. He sighed and took another drink of water.

Linnette broke the muffin she held in half and offered him the half in her right hand. "Here."

Veneno took it without hesitation. "Thanks."

They sat together in silence, content with the company.

After a few more minutes of rest, Veneno stood up and went back to his training. Linnette left him in peace and went to find her companions.

* * *

Ichigo stood up without any assistance and hobbled over to the window to look outside. It was a nice day with fair weather. Ichigo inhaled the fresh air and looked at the sky.

It was time to go home.

"Sure you're ready?" asked Hanataro. He still carried Ichigo's crutches just in case he needed them. So far, Ichigo hadn't any need for them since his last therapy session.

Ichigo turned and gave Hanataro a smile. "Yeah. I've been away from home long enough. I can't keep sitting in bed all day like I've been doing."

"You were near death, Ichigo! The past few days were-"

"I know. And thanks for all the help. It's because of your treatments that I got better."

Hanataro looked away bashfully. "It was really Captain Unohana's treatments. I didn't really do all that much. But thank you. And I'll tell her thank you as well."

Ichigo really was grateful to them. To all of them.

It was because of his friends and allies that he was alive.

"He's fine," Rukia said from the door. "Ichigo can't keep babying his injuries. He'll never get better that way."

Ichigo smirked. "For someone who's babying his injuries, I've recovered a lot faster than expected."

Rukia shrugged.

Ichigo walked slowly back to his bed to wait for Unohana's final diagnosis before leaving.

Rukia watched his slow, shuffling footsteps and wondered if he was really ready to go back so soon. Maybe he should wait another day.

When Unohana came in, she looked Ichigo over, asked him to walk for her and had him sit back down.

"You're all set," she said with a smile. "You've healed nicely. Your legs are still a bit weak but you're doing just fine. As long as you rest when you return home, I have no worries about your condition."

"Alright. So I'm free to go?"

She nodded.

"Thanks."

Soon he would be home. Back with his irritating but caring father and his two loving sisters. It would be so good to see them again.

He never thought he would miss them so much.

Was this natural? Or had his battle with the Quincies affected him more than he thought?

Believing there were worst ways to feel, Ichigo decided to not dwell on it. He was just a little homesick. That was all.

* * *

"Linnette. It's time."

She looked up. Victor was standing behind her with a gentle smile. She knew what this meant.

It was time to go home.

"But not before we say good-bye to Ichigo."

He nodded. Victor extended his hand and led Linnette outside.

Cedric joined them and together they went to where they knew Ichigo would be waiting.

Linnette pointed. "There's the giant door thing."

It was the passage they always took to return home when a Senkaimon wasn't available.

There was Ichigo, waiting for them as expected.

Linnette let go of Victor's hand to give Ichigo a hug.

"So you're well enough to go home, Ichigo?"

"Yup. All better."

She knew he was still sore and a little weak but considering the condition he was in before, this was a great improvement.

"Thanks for everything, Ichigo."

He patted Linnette on the head. "Actually, I should be the one thanking you. You did great Linnette. I can't believe how strong you've gotten."

She had promised Ichigo during their last parting that the next time he saw her, she would be a lot stronger.

She had kept her promise.

The corners of Linnette's eyes sparkled with joyful tears.

She had never felt so accomplished. Hearing Ichigo praise her, recognizing her strength, made it even better.

"I did have help, you know. I didn't do it all alone," she admitted.

"I know. And that's fine. No one can do everything alone. I tried and look what happened." Ichigo gave a soft chuckle. "There's no shame in getting help. That's why we have friends."

She nodded.

"And I heard that the Captains you used your powers on won't be in any trouble. Since you used your voice on them, they weren't in control of their actions when they went against orders. So no one is getting punished or anything."

Linnette was happy to hear it. "I'm so glad."

"That was your plan from the start, wasn't it?" he asked her.

"Yeah, but I wasn't sure if it would work. Even I had my doubts."

He chuckled again.

Linnette stepped back and Victor took her place.

Instead of shaking Ichigo's hand, he put an arm around Ichigo's shoulders and gave him a hug.

Ichigo felt Victor's warm breath on his neck as he whispered, "Thank you, Ichigo. After the way I treated you in the past, I never expected to receive such kindness from you."

Ichigo whispered back, "If you mean the things that happened back when we first met, don't worry about it. Everything you did, you did for her. You thought you were making the right decisions. When you saw your mistakes, you tried to make amends. It's ok."

"I could sense that you still didn't trust us after our first encounter and I didn't do much to remedy that. Cedric did more than I did. I was still stuck in the past while he was trying to move forward and improve himself."

"It's not that you were reluctant to change. You thought you were doing the right thing for Linnette."

"But I was blind. I couldn't see what I was doing or what she needed from me. Only after it was too late did I realize it. I opened my eyes long enough to see her tears. Cedric was right. I should have listened to him. All things considered, I thought for certain that you would sooner help him than you would me."

Was Victor blaming himself? Did he think Ichigo hated him?

"I told you that there are no hard feelings. I don't hate you. I'd like to think that we've become friends."

Victor chuckled softly. "I never thought it was possible, but it's true. We are friends. And even more ironic, I've come to care about you as well. I thought I would only ever care about Linnette. I suppose through you I have changed. Thank you for that."

Ichigo put his arm around Victor to keep him from pulling away before he could speak.

"You know, Victor... Some of your actions in the past might have been mistakes, but not all of them. You had good intentions. You just went about it the wrong way. But I think it had to do with ignorance. Despite how you look, you were only, what, five when I first met you?"

Being an adult in body and mind made it difficult to take into consideration that Victor had only been in this world for a few years. His age and years alive were two different numbers.

"And actually, Victor, during our second encounter, you didn't make all bad decisions and actions. Some of them were for the best."

"Such as?"

"Well... You wanting to get Linnette her powers back. Sure, there's some argument on whether or not it was done for the right reasons, but overall it was a good thing. Because of that, she became a great ally. And as a result, we all got closer together."

Ichigo was right. How could Victor have overlooked this? Linnette had became an ally. That was obvious. However, he had overlooked the fact that after becoming an ally, all three of them had gotten closer to other people. Now Victor could honestly say he had friends. Something he never thought possible. He thought he could only ever care about Linnette. His circle had grown. He, himself, had grown. He had improved.

Getting Linnette's voice back was his idea but he had never foreseen this. So many great things had resulted from that decision. His actions actually did bring about some good.

Victor straightened up and patted Ichigo's shoulder. He smiled.

Ichigo smiled back.

"Thank you."

Ichigo nodded. "Thank you."

They both had a lot to be thankful for.

Victor had a hand in saving Ichigo's life.

Ichigo had a hand in helping Victor grow and learn.

Victor stepped back and Cedric took his place.

Cedric held out his hand to shake Ichigo's.

"Thanks for caring about us. And thank you for saving us."

Ichigo took Cedric's hand. "According to Yagi, Linnette wasn't going to die as long as she received medical attention. Unohana and all those other people in the sickbay deserve your thanks."

"That's not quite what I meant." Cedric grinned. "But don't worry. I thanked them as well. And thanks for risking yourself for us as well, as long as we're not the topic."

Ichigo grinned.

"Wait!"

Ichigo paused, listening. He heard a voice on the air.

"Wait!"

It was getting louder.

"Wait!"

Ichigo turned, seeing a flash of white.

"Veneno."

The Arrancar landed unsteadily at the top of the stairs. He tripped and fell on his chest just shy of where Ichigo stood. He got up panting and brushed himself off.

"Good. You didn't leave. I was worried I wouldn't make it."

"Too busy training?" Linnette asked, thinking he had lost track of the time.

"No. I heard Ichigo was leaving and rushed to see him off. But then this punk kid with pink hair told me the wrong direction."

The Soul Reapers knew who he was talking about.

"I would have throttled her but this Captain with a starfish head was with her when I saw her again and I didn't want to mess with that guy."

"Starfish head?" Ichigo soon realized Veneno was referring to Kenpachi's hair. "Oh. Yeah, you had the right idea to run."

"If I fought him, I would have been late. I wanted to make sure I saw you, you moron." Veneno stepped forward and threw his arms around Ichigo in a hug. "There's always a time constraint whenever we have to meet up. Doesn't it seem that way?"

Ichigo agreed. "I guess so."

"And we have got to stop meeting in the sickbay. Seriously! One of us have to either wear a helmet or get less stupid."

Ichigo patted Veneno on the back. "I don't think a helmet would help. Besides, I'm not an idiot."

Veneno shoved him out of the hug and held him at arm's length. "Oh, so I'm the idiot?"

"I never said you were. You're the one who limited it to those options."

"Then how would you label me?"

"You don't want me to answer that."

Veneno puffed out his cheeks.

Ichigo mimicked him.

Veneno smirked. "Oh, you made a funny. At least that bone in your body wasn't broken."

"Funny bone? Now who's trying to be funny?"

"You started it."

"I didn't start anything."

Both broke out in laughter.

It would be a long time before they saw each other again. A long time before they laughed together again.

They decided to enjoy it while they could.

"Ichigo."

Rukia speaking his name was used as a command which Ichigo obeyed without thought.

It was time to return home. For all of them to return home.

Ichigo and Veneno hugged one final time and Ichigo stepped closer to the gate.

He would go first. Then Linnette and her party.

Veneno would not be taking this path. He would return to the lab and use Mayuri's Garganta. He was just here to see off his friends.

Ichigo stepped inside and turned around.

Everyone was watching him.

He smiled to assure them that he was alright and they waved, smiling back. He waved, too.

Rukia stepped inside to guide him back to his home. She, too, waved to the group as the door began to close.

"We'll see you soon, Ichigo!" Linnette was waving with both hands. "Bye! Thanks for everything! Get some rest! Bye!"

Victor and Cedric waved silently, standing behind her as they often did.

Veneno waved and called out, "What Siren said. We'll be seeing each other again... Ichi-it."

Ichigo wrinkled his nose. "What'd you call me?"

"Ichigo and idiot. Ichi-it." Veneno gave him a toothy smile.

"That anyway to talk to a friend?" Ichigo called through the closing gate.

"Just thought I'd try it out. If you want an apology, come visit me."

Ichigo sighed and shook his head. "I'll see you."

"Sooner than you think," Veneno said softly just as the gate closed. "I hope."

Linnette patted Veneno on the back. "We will. I know we will."

Beyond the gate, Ichigo turned to Rukia. "Remind me again why you're coming with me?"

"To make sure you're able to walk all the way back on your own."

"So much for on my own. You're with me."

"Just to make sure you don't fall on your face and get stuck here."

"I won't get stuck."

"So you can't promise me you won't fall on your face?"

"If I do, I'll just get up again."

Rukia grinned. "You always get up again."

When the gate opened again, Ichigo was just outside Kisuke's shop. Rukia bid him a quick farewell and retreated back into the Senkaimon as the gate started to close again.

"See ya," Ichigo said as the gate closed. He went inside the small shop to get his body back.

Before he could say anything, Kisuke was at the door holding Ichigo's lifeless body in his arms like a large plush toy.

"Long time, no see!" Kisuke said in a high-pitched voice. He was moving the jaw of the Ichigo he held up and down to match his words. He was making Ichigo's body talk like a puppet. "I've missed you so much-"

Ichigo punched Kisuke in the face. "Don't do that!"

"Ow!" Kisuke held his jaw. "Guess you're feeling better."

Ichigo took his body back. "Don't do that stuff to my body. What the hell is the matter with you?"

"I just wanted to lighten the mood. After a hard battle like that, I thought you could use a laugh."

Ichigo growled.

"What? I took care of your body while you were gone. It's in better shape than you are. Right, Ichi?" Kisuke moved Ichigo's jaw up and down. "I was a good boy."

Ichigo punched him again. "What did I say?"

"And this is the thanks I get? How cruel."

Ichigo slipped back into his body before Kisuke could do anything else to it.

"Thanks, Kisuke."

"Hm?"

Ichigo looked at him, no longer angry. Not at the man who tried to help save his life. "Thank you."

Kisuke lowered his head so his hat cast his eyes in shadow. "Not a problem, Ichigo. I wasn't the only one who helped, you know. You have a lot of good friends, you know. Never forget that."

He nodded. "Yeah. I know."

He was grateful to have so many people who cared about him.

Ichigo walked home in his body which had become just as sore as his Soul Reaper form. The walk seemed longer than usual, wearing him out. As soon as he got home, he was going right to bed.

"And I just finished spending the past few days in bed. Jeez. Maybe I should just lie on the couch for a while and watch TV."

Ichigo walked up the steps to his home and opened the door.

The familiar smell of his home put him at ease at once. The look and feel and smell of his home told him everything was alright. He could final relax.

"Ichigo?"

Yuzu's voice. He hadn't heard it in so long. For so long, all he had were his memories of how her voice sounded. It was good to actually hear it again.

"Ichigo?" Yuzu walked around the corner and saw her brother. "Ichigo!"

Her smile was even better than the memory.

"Where have you been? Your friends stopped by the other day when you didn't show up to class. They were worried about you. I didn't know what to tell them. They didn't come back to check again so I guess they figured you were-"

Ichigo threw his arms around her.

"I- Ichigo?"

He couldn't control himself. He didn't know why but his body acted on its own. His body wanted to hug the person he never thought he'd see again.

"Ichigo... What's wrong?"

In his memories, he was able to comfort her in his own way. Distracting her from whatever it was threatening to extract tears from her eyes. He rarely showed affection to her. Whenever he did, she knew something was bothering him. Normally he acted tough so when he didn't act aloof, she grew concerned. Usually because whenever he acted that way, it was because he was trying to pretend nothing was wrong.

Now he was hugging her.

He must have come back from something truly horrible to make him act like this.

"Yuzu..."

"Yeah?"

"I just missed you a lot. That's all. It's great to see you."

Yuzu knew there was more to it than that. She chose not to pry. It was unlikely that Ichigo would talk about his feelings anyway. He would just smile and pretend nothing was wrong.

Ichigo pulled away. He looked down, knowing Yuzu was thrown off by his sudden hug. "Sorry. Was that weird?"

"A little."

"Sorry."

If he had died as Yagi intended, what would have happened to his sisters? What would Yuzu do? She had already lost her mother. In the past, whenever Ichigo left for a long period of time, she would assume he was in an accident or killed. She would assume he was never coming back. Just like their mother.

If he died, someone would have had to tell his family, right? How would she react to such news? Losing her one and only big brother. The one who protected her and tried to comfort her.

Was that why he hugged her? Not because he would never see her again but because she would never see him?

It was easier to leave than to be left.

"What's wrong, Ichigo?" Yuzu was giving him a concerned look. She wanted to know.

"Ah, well. You see." Ichigo straightened up and brushed his hair back with the palm of his hand. "I sort of got into this fight."

That came as no surprise. She knew Ichigo would get into fights sometimes. She knew he never started them so she was ok with it. He wasn't some street punk. He was a defender. He fought for justice.

"Well... Let's just say, I wasn't a strong as I thought I was. But I had some friends who were there to help me so I'm good."

He didn't want to tell her how close he came to death or the details of what he had been through. Telling her this was enough.

"Did you lose?" Yuzu cupped her hands over her mouth. Suggesting he lost a fight was bad enough but saying it outright was even worse to his ego. She didn't mean to say it. "I mean, did you get hurt?"

"A little. But no, I didn't lose. I won. Just with some help."

"Oh. Well, good." Yuzu smiled. "You're friends must really care about you to help you out. I'm glad."

"Me, too."

Actually, he was just as strong as he thought. In a way. He managed to suppress Yagi's drug far longer than even Yagi expected. It came as a real shock to that Quincy. That was for sure.

He still needed to get stronger, though. Some ways he excelled and in other ways he fell sort.

There was always room for improvement.

Ichigo walked over to the couch and picked up the remote. He turned on the TV and set the remote on his chest.

A few minutes into the program, his other sister came downstairs and took the remote off his chest.

"Mine."

Ichigo looked up. "I'm watching something."

"But my show is just starting," argued Karin. "I don't want to miss it. I haven't missed a single episode and I don't intend to start now." She sat in the chair next to the couch and then asked, almost as an afterthought, "When did you get back anyway?"

"Few minutes ago."

"Oh. Well, welcome back, Ichigo."

Ichigo smiled. "It's good to be back."

* * *

Further away, another ally of Ichigo's was sitting on his bed with the lights turned off. He had been restless for some time.

Saving Ichigo hadn't changed anything.

Sure, it felt good to be the hero for a change and surpass a Soul Reaper, but he still had mixed feelings.

A Quincy saving a Soul Reaper was unheard of. However, this wouldn't be the first time. He did help save Rukia before. He may have been a Quincy, but where were his loyalties? He was loyal to his friends and they weren't Quincies. Most of them were human. Some were Soul Reapers.

He had a strong sense of justice. He knew right from wrong. Was that his pride or something else?

A Quincy was proud. They were very prideful. However, did that mean being allied exclusively to their own kind? Blindly following orders from their own kind? Always going to the side of a Quincy even when they were doing something morally wrong simply because they were of the same race?

That Quincy told him with his dying breaths that he should have been on his side. Instead, he had killed one of his own kind.

What part of that made sense?

No, it made perfect sense.

Pride didn't work that way. It didn't mean joining the side of the enemy simply because they were also a Quincy. That man was bad news from the start. The things he did were unforgivable.

Uryu knew he had done the right thing. He had no regrets.

He flopped down on this bed and stared at the ceiling.

"What now?" he asked himself.

There was still a decision to be made. A plan to formulate.

He could still remember those words on that piece of paper he burned the other day.

Before being consumed by flame, the words on the paper read: His Majesty has need of you. The revolution is coming.

He was a Quincy. He should join them. He was one of them.

No, he wasn't. He might have been a Quincy, but he wasn't one of them.

What this man had in mind was dangerous. It would be foolish to let him have his way.

What choice did he have?

Ichigo and all those other Soul Reapers had to face off against five Quincies and they could barely stay on their feet. They managed to win, but it was a hard battle. Next time, there would be more. A lot more.

How would they fair? Would they stand a chance?

They couldn't do it alone. They needed help.

Uryu had an idea.

He would help them.

So no one would suspect him, he had to pull off a convincing act. A Quincy being loyal to other Quincies didn't seem all that farfetched. He could do this.

He could only pray that Ichigo would continue to get stronger so he could handle what was to come.

Knowing Ichigo, Uryu had little doubt.

If anyone could do this, it would be him. Just not alone.

Anything was possible together.

* * *

Akon finished cataloging all the data and storage they had collected after the battle and everything that came after. He could only wonder what his Captain had in mind for all the Quincy tools they had collected from the enemy.

He looked around at his fellow researchers. "Guys, it's getting late. Let's wrap it up."

"Yes, sir." They started cleaning up a little quicker.

"Be careful with that stuff. Mayuri still hasn't run a full test on it," he warned.

"I got it. I got it."

"That batch goes in that bin and that stuff goes in that drawer."

"Here. This goes there."

"On it."

Finally, they finished tidying up the laboratory. Everything was back in its place.

"Alright. Good job guys," said Akon. "See you in the morning."

"Good night."

One researcher stopped and looked back at a drawer that was left open.

"Better get this before Akon squawks." Hiyosu hurried back to take care of it.

He went over to the drawer and discovered that the drawer contained a small metal box. The lid was off and on the table.

"Sloppy, sloppy work. Who left it here like this?"

Hiyosu took the lid off the table and placed it back on top of the box.

"Hm?"

He took the lid off the box and peered inside.

The box contained the broken fragments of the Quincy's mirror. Inside were all the broken pieces of reflective glass and the decorative frame.

For a brief moment, he thought he saw one of the broken fragments shimmer.

"Hmm. Must have been my imagination." Hiyosu put the lid back on the box and slid the drawer closed.

After fixing a label to the drawer, he took one last look around to make sure nothing was out of place, then left with the others. He turned off the lights and closed the door.

* * *

Could that shimmer mean something? Hmm...

Only one chapter left!

Please review! ^-^


	43. Chapter 43

**Chapter 43:**

Before long, things had gotten back to normal in Ichigo's life. As normal as it could be for him. During his recovery, there were very few Hollow attacks. When there were attacks, his friends stepped up to help take care of the threat while he didn't overexert himself. As time when on, he became able to assist them more and more until he was finally able to handle the threat himself.

That was weeks ago.

Now, his body was no longer sore and he could get around as easily as he could before. He was finally fully recovered and had been for some time.

As nice as it was to have his friends help him out, he would rather do things himself.

Now he had fallen back into his usual routine. He got up in the morning, went to school, hung out for a bit, returned home and did it all again the next day. He didn't mind the mundane schedule. It gave him a sense of normalcy. Every now and then there was Soul Reaper business, but he didn't mind that either. It changed things up a bit.

He had told Chad and Orihime what had happened when they met up again, but he left out the part of him nearly dying. They didn't need to know that.

Orihime was thrilled to hear how Uryu saved Ichigo and defeated the enemy. Chad gave an approving nod of his head.

Orihime thanked Uryu when she saw him in school the next day but he adjusted his glasses and told her he didn't do it for praise. Sensing he didn't want to talk about it, she didn't bring it up again.

When Ichigo and Uryu saw each other, they just nodded and went to their seats. Nothing had really changed between them. Neither of them wanted it to. Things were fine as they were.

"Well, I can't say I expected either of them to suddenly become affectionate to the other. Or to honor a life dept sort of thing," said Chad when he saw their interactions.

* * *

Weeks had passed since Ichigo returned home.

Little had changed, which suited him just fine.

Although, he did catch himself daydreaming about something during class one day.

He was thinking about what Victor had told him as they parted ways.

Victor had thanked him. That wasn't very unusual, but he had also said that he didn't think Ichigo would have risked himself for them.

The more Ichigo thought about it, the more he came to understand.

Maybe Ichigo was only understanding part of it when he had first heard Victor bring it up.

Maybe it was about Victor thinking that Ichigo had hard feelings because of the past. Maybe back then he wouldn't have risked himself to help them. Maybe Victor wasn't talking about that.

Victor could have been thanking Ichigo for risking himself for them. It was the gesture. Or maybe it was him thanking Ichigo for caring enough about them to do so. It was about their friendship.

Or maybe because Ichigo saw them as people.

Was it because he had given them a chance to change?

Was Victor thanking him for trying to save them, or for caring enough about them to do what he did? Not just for Linnette but for all three of them? Or was it because Ichigo understood how much they needed each other?

Maybe it was a combination of it all. Friendship, forgiveness, understanding, caring, and everything in between.

Ichigo would have liked a bit more clarity, but a general 'thank you' was enough. He could fill in the blanks as he saw fit. He had a feeling he couldn't go wrong.

* * *

It was a cloudy day in Karakura Town. The students all shuffled to class, the deary weather effecting their mood. To many of them, it was a good day to stay in bed. Not everyone needed the sun to have energy. Keigo was pretty lively that morning when he greeted his friends. Even Orihime was in a sunny mood.

"Looks like it could rain tonight," said Mizuiro, checking his phone. "It'll be cloudy all day but we shouldn't worry about it raining during class. Even if it does, we're inside."

"I don't want to walk home in the rain, though," said Tatsuki.

"Don't worry. The weather reports say tonight. It won't rain until around dinner time or later than that. It might still be raining in the morning, so worry about that."

"So we might have to walk to school in the rain? Aww!"

"It's not like we'll melt. It's a pain but we'll be fine."

Ichigo looked out the window. "It's not really that bad. I've seen darker clouds."

"So it might wait until tonight when we're in bed."

"It shouldn't be a hard rain, right?"

"It's not saying to expect storms. Just rain."

Ichigo thought back to the state of his inner world when he was afflicted by Yagi's drug. There was a storm going on in there as well. A flooded, crumbling world.

Worried about the state of his inner world, Ichigo returned to it the night he came home and investigated.

The buildings were all repaired and the water had receded. The sun was shining again in his world. It felt pleasant.

He had even run into and old friend. Or two.

Zangetsu was standing on top of a building beside Ichigo's white doppelganger. One greeted him with a nod of his head and the other flashed a fiendish grin.

Ichigo tried to call out to both of them but Zangetsu started to leave.

"You did well, Ichigo." Those were Zangetsu's words to him.

His white clone could only sneer and follow after Zangetsu like a puppy.

Ichigo wanted to speak to them more, but he understood what this was.

They were just there to show him that they were alright. They were there to let him know they were safe so he wouldn't worry.

They would all meet up again for a longer conversation when the time was right.

"Ichigo?"

"Hm?" Ichigo looked away from the window, shaken from his daze.

"Class is starting."

"Oh. Right." Ichigo took his seat and his friends did the same.

He would think about that stuff later.

* * *

Class began as usual. So far the rain was holding off just as the Mizuiro predicted. That didn't stop people from looking out the window to check. Ichigo was one of them. He kept looking outside. Partly because he was bored, partly because he was curious.

The cloudy day didn't exactly fill him with energy. The quiet classroom didn't help either.

For the past few minutes, all he could hear were pencils scrawling on paper and the chalk in the teacher's hand moving across the blackboard.

He wasn't exactly feeling very alert. Most of the class seemed to feel the same way. A lot of them had their heads down and it wasn't because they were diligently taking notes. They were just incredibly bored.

Ichigo started to yawn. He was feeling pretty bored himself.

And hungry. Lunch would be soon. Maybe eating something would help give him more energy. Or put him into a food coma.

Ichigo stopped writing.

The air in the room had changed.

Orihime, Chad and Uryu had also stopped taking notes. They sensed it, too.

Ichigo slowly turned his head to look over his right shoulder.

A slit had appeared in the space between the back row of desks and the wall. It was growing wider and started to split open like a mouth.

It was a Garganta. Was a Hollow really going to appear in the back of their classroom? That had never happened before.

What should he do? If he didn't act fast, the students would be in danger.

The Garganta wasn't that large so the Hollow must have been small. Hopefully it would be no larger than a bear.

The slit opened and something stepped out into the classroom.

"Eh?"

A young man in white stepped onto the tiled floor and dusted himself off. He looked around, his back facing Ichigo.

Then he turned around.

They spotted each other.

"Ichigo!" Veneno shouted joyfully.

Most of the students continued to work but a handful of them heard Veneno's voice and turned in their seats.

"Eh?!" Ichigo's eyes were wide.

"I finally found you!" Veneno said loudly. "It took me a few tries. I finally figured out how to use a Garganta. I've been trying to open one here but the times it worked, I ended up in different places. I tried to see if I could direct it to a specific location. Kind of random. I'm still getting the hang of it. The time before this one, I ended up in that sports yard thing. I tried again and it looks like I got it right. What luck! I actually managed to open it up right here where you are. I would have settled for the field but I wanted to look inside this building for you, thinking this is where you would be so I tried again and it's a good thing I did."

While Veneno chatted away, Ichigo peered around at the few students who could see and hear him.

Keigo looked like he was going to wet his pants. Tatsuki looked shocked and Mizuiro did nothing but gawk.

Chad and Orihime were frozen in their seats, wondering if this was a threat they should be fighting and if so what they were going to do. Uryu was on the edge of his seat, both pretending he wasn't seeing anything and preparing to fight if this Arrancar was indeed hostile.

"What's with the look, Ichigo? I came all the way here and you're not even going to tell me what a good job I did. Finding you wasn't easy, you know."

Some of the students were starting to take notice of the shocked expressions around them and turned to see what they were looking at. To them, there was nothing there. No one else could see or hear the Arrancar.

"Not now..." Ichigo said through his teeth.

"Hm?" Veneno leaned closer. "What's that?"

"I said not now." Ichigo put a finger to his lips.

"At least act like you're happy to see me."

Not wanting to be ignored, Veneno grabbed Ichigo's arm and pulled him out of his seat.

"Whoa!" Ichigo fell on the floor and everyone turned to look at him. To the other students, it looked like he simply fell out of his seat.

Their teacher looked at him. "I know this must be boring for you but do try to remain in your seat, Kurosaki."

"S- sorry." Ichigo grabbed Veneno by the arm before he could do anything else. "Can you excuse me for just one second? I'll be right back."

Ichigo walked backwards, shoving Veneno towards the door. He roughly shoved him into the hallway and shut the door.

"Are you out of your mind?!"

"What?"

Ichigo pointed to the classroom. "Most of those people can't see you. Or hear you. Doing that stuff back there... If I start talking to you, I'd look insane. It'd look like I'm talking to an imaginary person."

"Oh." Veneno scratched his head. "Sorry."

Ichigo relaxed a little. "It's good to see you, Veneno."

He smiled. "I worked hard and finally got it. Now I can visit the Soul Society and you any time I want. Great, huh?"

"Yeah, it is." Ichigo was worried Veneno would become too lonely and revert back to his old ways if he didn't stay in contact with his new friends. Now Ichigo didn't have to worry about that.

Ichigo and Veneno gave each other a quick hug in greeting.

"Listen," said Ichigo. "I'm in class right now, but we're going to break for lunch pretty soon. I can talk to you then if you like. I can even introduce you to some of my other friends if you want."

"Sure."

"Great. Meet me on the roof. I'll bring everybody up there when lunch starts. Think you can wait a few minutes?"

Veneno saluted. "I'll meet you on the roof." He flashed away.

Ichigo breathed a sigh of relief and returned to his classroom.

As he took his seat, he gave his friends a silent message with his eyes that everything was taken care of. They turned back in their seats and went back to taking notes.

When the class was dismissed for lunch, Ichigo's friends came rushing up to his desk.

"Who was that guy?"

"What's going on?"

"He freaking came from nowhere! Did anyone see that?!"

"Not in my ear, Keigo."

"Is everything alright, Ichigo?"

"It's fine." Ichigo stood up from his desk. "He's a friend. In fact, I asked him to join us for lunch if you want to meet him."

"Ooh! That sounds great!" chirped Orihime. "I can share my bread with him. I have lots."

"Bet he'd like that."

Ichigo led the group up the stairs to where they usually ate lunch. Keigo seemed a little nervous about meeting Ichigo's strange friend but was also looking forward to it. If Ichigo said he was a friend, then he shouldn't have much to worry about. He couldn't have been as scary as his sister. Mizuiro followed Ichigo casually as if this encounter would be no different from meeting a normal human being.

Ichigo opened the door and stepped onto the roof. He looked left then right.

"There he is."

Veneno was sitting on the safety rail by the edge of the building. Seeing Ichigo, he jumped down and landed in front of him. Veneno and Ichigo bumped fists in greeting.

"Guys," Ichigo addressed his friends, "this is Veneno."

"What's up?"

"Hi!" Orihime said cheerfully. "I'm Orihime. This is Tatsuki. She's my very best friend. And this is Chad."

"Yo."

"And these are our other friends." Orihime pointed them out but they each introduced themselves.

"Hi, I'm Mizuiro. It's nice to meet you, Veneno." He held out his hand for Veneno to shake.

"I'm Keigo. Um, did you really just come out of nowhere in the classroom? How'd you do that?"

"Lots of practice." Veneno peered over Keigo to the boy walking behind Ichigo.

Ichigo looked behind him and saw Uryu adjusting his glasses. "That's Uryu. He's a friend, too."

"Hey," Veneno greeted casually.

Uryu adjusted his glasses again and walked away.

"He's a little shy," said Ichigo.

"No, I'm not!" Uryu called over his shoulder.

Veneno smirked. "I guess you do keep strange company, Ichigo. Suddenly, I don't feel so out of place in your circle."

Mizuiro held out his lunchbox. "So, are you hungry? You're free to join us for lunch."

"He does eat normal things, right?" asked Keigo. "I mean, he looks normal, but does he eat normal?"

"I'm sure he does," said Mizuiro.

"You do eat normal things, right?"

Veneno stepped closer to Keigo. "I don't know. You look pretty tasty. Is that normal?"

"Wh- wh- what?"

"Yeah, a little salt and you'll do just fine. That is why Ichigo brought you, isn't it?"

"Yeeyai!" Keigo ran and hid behind Ichigo.

"I'm just messing with you." Veneno laughed. "Lighten up."

Keigo peered around Ichigo's hip. "Really?"

"Yup."

"Oh."

Uryu rolled his eyes. "Typical Arrancar humor."

"Nah, I'd be happy to eat whatever you got in those lunchboxes. What do you have, anyway?" Veneno asked, opening the lid of Orihime's lunchbox.

"I have some yummy bread if you'd like any."

"Sounds good to me."

Veneno reached inside and took a whole loaf of bread from her lunchbox. As he lifted it up to his mouth, he paused and looked down at her. He lowered the bread and split it in half with a jerk of his hands.

"Here." He offered her one of the halves.

"Thank you."

"You're the one offering him the bread," said Tatsuki. "He should be the one thanking you. Not the other way around."

"I have jam to go along with it."

"Great." Veneno took the jar of jam from her and slathered it over the bread. He took a bite and winced. "Yuck! What kind of jam is that?"

"Mayonnaise, butter, duck sauce, sugar and a touch of hot sauce for flavor."

"How is that jam?"

"Well, I mixed it together with the remains of the raspberry jam that was left over in the jar. I didn't want that little bit to go to waste so I added some extra stuff. Those things were taking up space in my fridge anyway, so I figured I'd save on space if I added them to the jam, since there was only a tiny bit in those containers as well. Now the jar is full again and tastes fresh with those ingredients."

Veneno grimaced. "Suddenly, eating Keigo doesn't sound like such a bad idea."

"What?!"

"Just to get the taste out of my mouth."

Ichigo passed Veneno his lunchbox. "Here. Help yourself."

"Thanks."

Veneno took one of his sandwiches and passed the lunchbox back to him.

Everyone divided up their lunches and shared with Veneno.

They started talking, asking Veneno all kinds of questions. He was all too happy to answer. Mostly he gloated about how strong he was to impress them.

During the conversation, Uryu dropped a bag of nuts and some cookies beside Veneno and started to walk away.

"Sharing, too, Uryu?" Orihime asked him.

"I'm just full and didn't want to waste it."

They all knew that wasn't true.

Tatsuki leaned over to Ichigo while Veneno struck up a conversation with Mizuiro and Orihime. "So this guy's a friend of yours?"

"Yeah, I thought I mentioned that."

"Hm. He's kinda different."

"Well, he explained he wasn't human, didn't he?" Ichigo took a bite of his sandwich.

"Yeah. But I'm talking about how rude he can be."

"Rude?"

"He opened Orihime's lunchbox and check it out before asking her permission."

"She didn't seem to mind."

"He just seems too... What's the word. 'Forward' I guess..? No, that's not it. 'Blunt' maybe? Yeah, blunt is a good word."

"The guy's been through a lot and compared to how he was before, this is an improvement."

Tatsuki wrinkled her nose. "Compared to before, huh? I'd hate to see how he was before."

It wasn't like Veneno was taught proper etiquette. During his recovery, those who knew about him were just surprised he could speak. Ichigo didn't mind Veneno's poor manners as much as others. In his opinion, Veneno wasn't that bad. Just a little blunt, as Tatsuki put it. At least he didn't chew with his mouth open.

"The guy has a bit of an attitude," Tatsuki went on. "Then again, so do you, Ichigo."

"I do?"

"Yeah. How you don't take crap from anyone. That's a type of attitude."

"Meh."

Tatsuki turned to him. "So what do you mean by Veneno having been through a lot? Did something happen to him? Was it bad?"

Ichigo felt it wasn't his place to say.

"Well?" Tatsuki wasn't going to quit until he answered her question.

"He hasn't exactly been around people for a while."

"Oh, I see. So it's that he's socially awkward."

"... Alright." Ichigo ate the rest of his sandwich.

"So how long are you staying?" Mizuiro asked Veneno. "Do you have a home you can return to?"

Veneno nodded. "Yup. I just came from there. I've spent the past few weeks training so I could open that gate you just saw and come here on my own. I finally mastered it. Sort of. I'm still not too sure how to make it open exactly where I want it, but I'll take what I can get. I never knew I could do it in the first place until someone pointed it out to me. It's something we're supposed to naturally be able to do. I just never knew or forgot we could."

"We?"

"Other Hollows and Arrancars. You know those things that come by and eat people."

Ichigo threw his juice box at him.

"So you do eat people!" Keigo whimpered.

"I don't. I'm not like those-"

"Veneno!" Ichigo said sharply.

"What?" Veneno asked as if Ichigo had just rudely interrupted his joke just before the punchline.

Ichigo drew a line across his neck with his finger. "They don't need to know that stuff," he hissed.

"Why not?"

Orihime blocked Veneno's view of Ichigo by leaning forward. "So, heh heh, which of our lunches did you like the best, Veneno?" Orihime said quickly to change the topic.

Sensing that Ichigo didn't want his friends to know the full details of Hollows and Soul Reaper business, Veneno dropped the subject.

Lunch was starting to wrap up and students started to return to the building for class. Uryu went ahead but stayed near the door to listen to the conversation.

"Are you going to drop by everyday?" asked Mizuiro. "If you do that, it might be a little inconvenient. With class and all."

"Popping in unexpected is kind of rude," said Tatsuki.

"But if we know he's showing up everyday, then it won't be unexpected," pointed out Orihime. She turned to Veneno. "It'll be nice to see you again. But a little warning next time might help."

Chad nodded. "Don't want to mistake you for a threat," he said quietly to him.

"Nice meeting you," said Mizuiro. "We'd better get back to class before we're late, guys."

Ichigo's friends each bid Veneno farewell and went back inside. Uryu remained hidden in the corner. He watched each one pass by and descend the staircase without noticing him.

Ichigo was the last one to leave. He stood beside Veneno and put a hand on his shoulder.

"They're right, though," he said. "Since only some of us can see you, showing up in the middle of a classroom might be a little..."

"Yeah, sorry."

"I'm glad to see you, Veneno, but we should work out a time and place to meet up. During class time isn't a good idea. While class is going on, I'm not allowed to talk to you or anyone. It wouldn't be fair to make you stand there while we're forced to ignore you. When we meet, we should be able to talk."

Veneno nodded. "Yeah."

Explaining things to him in this way would allow Ichigo to get Veneno's cooperation. By doing this, he was able to convince Veneno to show up during certain times and not in the middle of a classroom. This would make things a lot easier. Now Veneno wouldn't be disrupting class and startling his friends.

Veneno promised not to make a habit of this. He would show up every now and again to visit Ichigo at certain times when it was convenient for the two of them. Veneno didn't mind these limitations because he also spent his time visiting the Soul Society with his ability.

"Can you get back alright?"

"Yeah," said Veneno. "Same time next week?"

Ichigo smiled. At least Veneno didn't say he would meet him tomorrow. He knew how to space things out.

"Sounds good to me," said Ichigo.

Veneno gave Ichigo a quick hug and opened a Garganta by making a clawing motion with his right hand in the air. The air split where his nails had touched and ripped apart. The opening grew wider and wider until Veneno could step inside.

Veneno stepped into the dark opening and turned to face Ichigo. "See ya," he said with a wave.

"See ya."

The Garganta closed and Veneno was gone.

The air grew still and the sky was peaceful.

"Glad he's doing well," Ichigo said to himself. "So he managed to make it work after all."

Something told him that Veneno would be visiting the Soul Society a lot, claiming he could use the practice. It wasn't against any rules. He was allowed to visit. Ichigo just hoped he wouldn't overdo it.

Ichigo took one last look at the sky before heading back to class, thinking of all his friends. Those who were here with him and those who were far away. Near and far, they were probably all thinking of him in some way.

He was happy to have them. All of them.

They gave him strength, the same way he inspired them to get stronger as well.

He wanted to protect that.

Ichigo shook his head. "I'm feeling so sentimental today. What's up with me?"

Uryu heard Ichigo approaching the door. He quickly hurried down the stairs so he wouldn't be noticed.

Ichigo returned to class just as the bell rang. The teacher made sure everyone was present before continuing the lesson. Everyone took out their books and began to take notes.

Ichigo looked around at the students. He noticed that his friends seemed a bit more lively now. Their encounter with Veneno must have perked up their spirits somehow. It seemed they were all happy to meet him. Ichigo wondered if they would ask him more questions after school got out or if they would kept quiet about it like they did about his Soul Reaper business.

They were so listless before and now they were more energetic.

Could meeting with a friend really do that? Ichigo's spirits were often raised when he was with his friends so it must have been true.

After everything he had to endure so far, he knew one thing for certain.

No matter what happened, his friends were there to help him get through it.

They gave him a reason to keep going.

* * *

The end!

It took a while, but it's finally done.

So how did you like it? I hope you enjoyed it.

Thank you for all the support and for all the reviews!

Thanks for reading and please review! ^-^


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